104 



imagos are found inside the sheaths of the dead leaves on the lower part of the stalk 

 during the daytime, and apparently only fly at night. 



Not being an entomologist, I don't know what other information would he of value 

 to you. The grub is found only in the mature basal joints of the cane stalk — the 

 portion of the stalk which is richest in sugar. I do not think that the imago is 

 attracted by light; anyway it would be dangerous to have a light in a cane field on 

 account of the danger of fire. 



Ten tons of cane per acre are sometimes destroyed by the borer. 



Since writing the above I have talked with Mr. A. Koebele. He says the borer is 

 probably a native of Tahiti, or at least that it was introduced here from there, but 

 that it also occurs in Samoa, Fiji, New Guinea, and other southern Pacific island 

 groups. Also that it infests the banana, wine palm ( < 'aryota ureas) and other palms, 

 the papaya ( ( 'arica papaya ), and a good many other tropical crops. 



Hon. H. P. Baldwin, who gave me most of the preceding information, says that 

 the cane borer is the worst insect pest in Hawaii, and that a conservative estimate 

 of the amount of damage done by it would be at least $500,000 per annum. 



UMBRELLA ANTS IN CUBA. 



During the first week of June we received two communications in 

 regard to an ant native to Cuba and designated by the natives as " bibi- 

 jagua." Mr. Thomas R. Towns, Quiebra Hacha, province of Pinar 

 del Rio, wrote May 27 that this insect, which is probably Atta inm- 

 laris or a related species, is as industrious as any animal alive, work- 

 ing as late as 12 o'clock at night, when the dew puts a stop to its work. 

 At lo next day it is out again. The ants stripped a nursery of 

 every leaf of orange, showing a preference for the tender leaves. 

 They are described as taking a row of young stock about an eighth of 

 a mile long, tree by tree, never missing one nor leaving a leaf. \Vhen 

 this row is finished they take the next. Our correspondent stated that 

 he " ran them out " by tarring a rope with pine tar and laying this 

 around the plot attacked. 



Mr. E. T. Fries, Santa Fe, Isle of Pines, complained of the same 

 species and its injury to orange. He had noticed its habit of living 

 in colonies in immense hills of earth, with galleries, chambers and 

 tunnels, and with well-beaten paths in many directions leading to the 

 hill. Along these the ants traveled, each carrying a bit of leaf often 

 several times as large as the ant itself. The ants are officered by one 

 of larger size. 



THE GAGE BUG. 



During the time that this Division issued the periodical publication , 

 Insect Life, which reached an edition of seven volumes and has now 

 been discontinued, we had frequent occasion to mention the popular 

 names of our common insects. Such notes as we published frequently 

 elicited interesting correspondence. 



Januaiy 30, 1902, Mr. James Riley, of New Dorchester, Mass., 

 wrote in regard to popular names, giving an account of the " Gage 



