46 THE SUGAR-CANE INSECTS OF HAWAII. 
in the island of Porto Rico.* Regarding the work of the Hawaiian 
mole cricket, Prof. Koebele reports as follows:? 
A species of mole cricket has appeared in very large numbers in some of the moist 
valleys on Oahu, it is likely another Asiatic introduction, as a rule these crickets 
are found around the muddy borders of shallow pondsand watercourses where they live 
in burrows resembling those cf moles, and like that animal their food consists chiefly 
of earth worms and the larva of various insects. The opinionsas to its habits are as 
yet divided; whilst some authorities claim that it is beneficial, others place it amongst 
the injurious insects. 
Specimens kept in confinement here with pieces of sugar cane would hardly touch 
them, yet they readily devoured a large number of the larva of the Adoretus or Japanese 
beetle, as well as those aphodius and a number of earth worms, all within 24 hours. 
The ground infested by these crickets was examined and found to be very wet and 
completely riddled with the burrows down to a depth of three and even four feet, as 
many as three and four specimens were brought to hght in a single shovel full of the 
soil. In such localities there is no question as to the injurious effects of the crickets 
on young cane plants, wherever they were numerous almost all of the seed cane was 
destroyed; they would burrow into the seed from ali sides, destroying all the eyes, 
where the plants had made a growth of a couple of feet the cricket would burrow in 
below the ground and eat to the center, killing the plant. This is the only instance 
so far observed of the depredations of these crickets here. In rice and taro fields no 
damage has been observed as yet, and the only damage that is likely to occur to cane 
is when it is planted in wet swampy land, as the cricket can only live and thrive in 
such places, and is not found in ordinary arable land; even in the swamp where the 
cricket was very numerous, it did not attack the old cane but paid its attention sclely 
to the newly planted seed and very young plants. 
This cricket, although living in marshy land, cannot live under water, yet it is a 
good swimmer; the only remedy that can be recommended at present is to flood the 
land with water and collect the crickets as they come to the surface, destroying them 
by placing them in a vessel containing kerosene and water. 
The fungoid so contagious to many insects and larva here, does not seem to have any 
effect on this lively cricket, nor will he have anything to do with poison given in the 
style of bran, sugar and arsenic. 
Certain army worms and cutworms, among them Heliophila uni- 
puncta Haw., Agrotis ypsilon Rott., and Spodoptera mauritia Boisd., 
are occasionally known to strip fields of young cane. ‘These species 
and related forms, together with their natural enemies, are discussed 
in a recent report by Mr. O. H. Swezey. ° 
A bud moth, Lreunetis flavistriata Wlsm., is found generally 
throughout the Hawaiian cane fields and at times is quite numerous. 
Regarding its injury Swezey says:4 
2 Barrett, O. W.—The changa or mole cricket in Porto Rico. <Porto Rico Agr. 
Exp. Sta., Bul. 2, pp: 19; fie. 1, 1902: 
6 KOEBELE, ALBERT.—Hawauan Planters’ Monthly, vol. 15, no. 12, pp. 594-596, 
December, 1896. 
¢ Swezey, O. H.—Army worms and cutworms on sugar cane in the Hawaiian 
Islands. <(Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Exp. Sta., Div. Ent., Bul. 7, pp. 32, pls. 3, 
November, 1909. 
@Swezey, O. H.—The Hawaiian sugar cane bud moth (Ereunetis flavistriata) 
with anaccountof someallied speciesand naturalenemies. <(Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ 
Exp. Sta., Div. Ent., Bul. 6, pp. 40, pls. 4, October, 1909. 
