July i, 1897 .] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
PROF. ALBERT KOEBELE AND HIS 
WORK AS ENTOMOLOGIST IN 
HAWAII. 
{From the Hriwaian Planters MonthlyP) 
Al.\mbda, California, Dec. 31, 1896. 
St, — I herewith submit a report of work done since 
my appointment as Entomologist. — Ageneral account 
of the conditions of the injurious insects, aud the 
natural enemies introduced from those countries 
visited. My sincere thanks are due to you for the 
deep interests taken in the important work, for 
receiving and liberating the various predaceous and 
benedcial insects so promptly on their arrival, with- 
out such help the results would not have terminated 
so successfully. We have accomplished what had 
been desired, namely — the eradication of the worst 
blight or scale plague that ever appeared in any 
country. Once more, I consider my duty in the 
interest of your fair Islands, by any and all means, to 
prohibit the importation of any soil from all countries, 
aud herewith avoid what in the future could never 
be remedied, — an everlasting plague of Scarabaeids 
that would devastate the Islands. 
The one species so far introduced from 
Japan in soil. Adoretus, umbrosus, P., has 
partly shown what the beetles may accom- 
plish. Fortunately the larva of the same is 
not injurious, and it is chiefly in the larva form 
that these insects do the most damage by de- 
vouring the living roots of mostly all plant life. We 
have records countries where those larva do damage. 
The May beetle or Cockfaer of Europe has cost the 
various countries untold fortunes for centuries past. 
Asia, India, Australia and America suffer likewise 
from effects of these beetles, all this in countries 
where the respective insects have their natural enemies 
in suffi-cient quantities to keep them in check to a 
certain extent. If any of the hundreds of species 
were introduced in the Islands, their effects upon 
plant life would be most disastrous, with no enemies 
present, and a continuous warm climate, where we 
could expect at least four broods of the beetle to one 
in a temperate clime. I doubt that Adoretua has more 
than one brood per year in Japan, where it is rare, 
and yet I have bred it in Honolulu from egg to 
maturity in seven weeks. 
But little more can be presented in regard to the 
introduction of injurious scale insects. There are 
but very few serious species not yet represented in 
the Islands from those ports from which plants 
generally arrive. We can see those and know pretty 
well how to deal with and where to find their pro- 
per enemies. Aspidiotus Jiscus, Comstock, is found 
upon very many plants and usually considered one 
of the worst scales was not yet met with, although it 
may be present since it is common in Japan and 
China upon nearly all plants, and must have been 
brought into Honolulu repeatedly. Even this need 
not to be feared much, as we have the most effective 
enemies for the same already present. 
Chionapis Citri, Comstock, is another scale affecting 
citrus trees, apparently not yet present. We have 
fungoid diseases established upon the Leoanidae on the 
Islands, and hope for the same success with the Dias- 
pidinae as well. 
The various cut worms, the Ponallo ; the 
Aleurodes on coffee ; Phoeciloptera, likewise at- 
tacking this and many other plants, and various 
enemies . still afiocting the sugar cane will 
receive immediate attention by judiciously selecting 
and introducing predaceous and parasitic insects for 
the same. — Respectfully, Alubut Koebebe. 
Mr. J. M.\rsdf,n, 
Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry. 
REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST OF THE 
HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT 
As you are well aware my first and chief work had 
to be directed against the numerous scale insects 
at the time infesting aud destroying many of the 
valuable fruit, ornamental and shade trees. Up to 
the present time, some sixty species of these have 
been found on the Islands, and some of them would 
have made it utterly impossible to raise the citrus 
and coffee trees successfully. In fact, most of ih.o 
shrubs and trees at the time were so infested by 
the then recently introduced and most pernicious 
coccids ever met with, D ictylopius vastator. Mask, 
that their destruction in the near future seemed 
imminent had not relief been brought. Without 
doubt their destructive work would have spread over 
all the Islands, notwithstanding the m.rst deligeut 
prevention on your part. The scale has not besn 
met with as yet in any of the other Islands, aud at 
present wherever it may appear, its enemies are 
awaiting it, the chief of which no doubt is the 
Australian Lady bird, Chryptolaemus montrouzieri, 
Mulsaut. The cocoid is a native of China where 
it bad been met with in the neighbourhood of 
Hongkong. 
Another numerous scale, and one that had longer 
been introduced than the previous species, Dacty- 
lopius ceriferus, Newstead, had always been seen 
covering the leguminous trees often to such 
au extent that many of them lost their entire 
leaves and in some instances even were destroyed 
entirely by the quantities of Mealy bugs present. 
This species also is kept in check by the Chryp- 
tolaemus beetles, which increase to such an ext-eut in 
the early summer that milliou.s of their larvae can 
frequently be seen crawling around where the coccids 
abound. Often this very beneficial insect, for it is 
always in larval state where they do the most exe- 
cution, arh taken for so-oalfed (blights) and are in 
consequence destroyed. It should always be borne 
ill mind that the scale insects or blight are gene- 
rally stationary i. e., fixed to the branches and twigs 
of plants, very rarely move about, and then only 
very slow ; the Chryptolaemus larva on the contrary 
is qiiito active, and when full grow'ii is about a quar- 
ter of an inch in length, covered above with six rows 
of contiguous elongated white mealy secreted append- 
ages. It is then that they can be seen in such num- 
bers that often the fences and wails are covered, 
the trunks and limbs of trees bear patches of the 
pupae, ofteu several feet in length. The insect was 
met with in tropical Australia, New Caledonia, Fiji, 
Ceylon and Southern China, and will apparently live 
out of doors in the t’’opios only. 
Another Dactylopius has occasioned great incon- 
venience in the cane fields, known as D. chalceo- 
lariae, Maskell. Here also the Chryptolaemus beetle 
appeared, and waged war upon the same with the 
consequence that at present time the pest has also 
practically disappeared. This scale was met with in 
Fiji and tropical Australia. 
Dacti/lopim adoniduni, Linnaous, has been present 
upon most all plants. It is this scale that has 
marred the coffee industry in the Islands ever sinco 
the attempt was made to grow the tree o er fifty 
years since, by its large numbers sitting around and 
Slicking out the sap of the young berries, producing 
a premature coloring aud dropping of the same. It 
likewise lives upon the roots of coffee and many other 
trees and plants in the tropics all over the world, 
whilst in colder countries it is found upon green- 
house plants chiefly. The injury to the various 
vegetation formerly caused by the foregoing and 
many other species of Dactylopius present on the 
Islands, is now practically done away with. We have 
sufficient enemies present for them for all time 
to come. 
Pidvinana p.iidii, Maskell, another introduction 
from the Orient, had spread considerably over 
the Islands, and caused soma anxiety, especiallv 
ill the coffee districts. I myself must confess that 
nowhere have I ever seen a landscape so completely 
blackened by the fungoid growth, caused hv the 
honey exudation of tlie Pulviiiaria scale in "which 
this grows, as that of North Kona on niy visit in 
Feliruary, ISSIf. On my recent trip to the same 
place, all tliese had changed, aud the district, to 
me, had the appearance of anotlier country, all 
owing to the presence of tbe Uliyptolaemiis beetle 
that devours the eggs of the scale. Since then various 
