THE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY. 
33 
acre of guava or of coffee can support the fly throughout the year 
without the aid of other host fruits and form a center for the 
reinfestation of surrounding areas. Notwithstanding the fact that 
the bulk of the ripening and infested fruits can be collected except 
during the mango season, lasting from May to July, and fruit-fly 
conditions unquestionably improved from the standpoint of the 
numerical abundance of adult flies, the important fact remains that 
the number of fruit flies that succeed in reaching maturity is suf- 
ficiently large to infest practically every fruit ripening within the city. 
Clean culture can not be made effective under present conditions. 
The islands are thoroughly overrun with the fruit fly, and this applies 
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Fig. 28.— The fruits of this tree, the winged kamani, ripening throughout the year, are badly infested by 
the Mediterranean fruit fly. The nuts of this one tree are enough to supply adult flies for an entire 
neighborhood. (Authors' illustration.) 
quite as much to the guava scrubs in pastures or lava flows and in 
mountain gulches as within city limits. By far the larger proportion 
of the host trees and shrubs are grown more for protection from the 
tropic sun and for their ornamental value than for their fruits. Large 
numbers of the host fruits are not edible. The destruction of host 
vegetation is out of the question until it can be proved that some 
worth-while advantage can be gained. To cut down all host trees in 
Honolulu at present would mean the removal of a large percentage 
of her prized vegetation without giving her citizens any adequate 
compensation. 
