40 BULLETIN 536, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



said to be free from attack were exposed to adults in the laboratory and 219, 285, and 

 222 eggs, respectively, were laid in them. To determine whether the confinement of 

 different varieties of improved mangoes would throw any light upon their varie- 

 tal susceptibility, the various combinations indicated in Table XI were placed 

 in jars of ovipositing adults and allowed to remain 24 hours. This experiment 

 was made possible by the gift by the Federal Experiment Station at Honolulu of 

 fruits which had been protected from fruit-fly attack by paper bags. The extent of 

 infestation under these forced conditions shows that the Piri, Brinda Bani, and Divine 

 were least affected. The Divine and Brinda Bani are varieties so little attacked in 

 the open that they are not protected by paper bags during development. It is inter- 

 esting to note that the Piri, which is one of the very best eating varieties of mangoes 

 grown in Honolulu, is the least susceptible to attack of the varieties used in the ex- 

 periments with the exception of the Brinda Bani and Divine. The Black Alfonse and 

 Cowasjee Patel grown at the Moanalua Gardens appear equally resistant with the Piri, 

 and from these gardens Mr. S. M. Damon has sent out many superb fruits of these three 

 varieties, which reach maturity uninfested and unprotected. 



46. Elexgi Tree (Mimusops elengi). 



The fruits of Mimusops elengi grown in Hawaii appear to belong to two varieties. 

 Both are infested as they become fully ripe, but the glabrous variety supports many 

 more larvae than the pubescent variety (PL VIII. fig. 2). The fruits of both have a 

 tough, firm outer shell, a mealy pulp, a proportionally large central stone, and are 

 about three-fourths of an inch long. Of 34 fruits of the glabrous variety gathered from 

 the ground during February only 7 yielded no adults. From the remaining 27 fruits, 

 355 adults, or an average of aboutl3 adults per fruit, were reared. Of 15 fruits of the 

 pubescent variety gathered from the ground at the same time, 8 yielded no adults, 

 and 7 yielded 27 adults. From 10 fruits of the glabrous variety 17. 15, 13, 10, 7, 30, 21, 

 22, 19, and 2 adults were reared. 



47. Mock Orange ( Murray a exotica). 



The small fruits of the mock orange or orange jessamine (Murray a exotica) are pre- 

 ferred hosts (PL VIII. fig. 4). From 1 to 3 larvae only are able to mature in a single 

 fruit. Of 111 fruits gathered during March. 1914. 26 were not infested. From the 

 remaining 85 fruits 148 adults were reared; 10 fruits yielding, respectively, 1, 1, 2, 3, 

 2, 1, 1, 2, 1. and 3 adults. 



48. Banana (PI. XIV. XV. XVI). 



The banana export trade of the Hawaiian Islands amounted to 256.319 bunches 

 during the year ended June 30. 1915. For the most part, the shipments were composed 

 of the chief commercial variety of Hawaii, the Chinese banana (Musa cavendishii), 

 although a small number of Bluefields {Musa sapientum ) entered into the shipments. 

 With the appearance of C. capitata in Hawaii, it became imperative, therefore, to 

 determine to what extent, if any. this established trade jeopardized the mainland 

 fruit interests. Previous to the experimental work in Hawaii, the banana had been 

 classed among the host fruits of C. capitata by officials of the Australian Common- 

 wealth and by Gowdey l of British East Africa without modifying statements. 



A critical review of the Australian literature seems to indicate that the positive 

 references to the presence of C. capitata in bananas should be questioned, as it is more 

 than probable that the similarity in the appearance of fruit-fly larvae has led to a con- 



1 In a letter to the writers dated July, 1916, Gowdey writes that his previously reported rearing of C. 

 capitata from bananas was made under abnormal or laboratory conditions. He succeeded in rearing adults 

 from overripe bananas infestedin the laboratory. He was not attempting to prove the immunity, or 

 otherwise, of this fruit when green, although sufficiently ripe for the trade, and makes no claim that under 

 field conditions the ban.ana is a host fruit of this fly. 



