THE AVOCADO IN GUATEMALA. 35 
as scarcely to leave space for even one more. Unquestionably they 
must have an injurious effect upon the tree. 
The avocado weevil (Heilipus lauri Boh.), whose presence in 
Mexico has been the chief motive for the quarantine order prohibiting 
the importation of avocado seed from that country into the United 
States, was not observed in Guatemala, nor were any specimens 
found among more than 25,000 seeds shipped from Guatemala to 
Washington in 1916 and 1917. Another weevil, however, was found 
in these shipments. This species, the broad-nosed grain weevil 
(Caulophilus latinasus Say), is already known in the United States. 
According to Chittenden (Bull. 96, pt. 2, Bureau of Entomology), 
it appears to be permanently established in this country as an enemy 
of dried cereals and other food materials. In Guatemala it was ob- 
served to be exceedingly abundant in avocado seeds which had re- 
mained for some days upon the ground beneath the trees, and it was 
also common among seeds obtained from the markets, where they had 
been stored for two or three weeks. It bores in the seeds, leaving 
small tunnels. 
Larvse of a small brownish gray moth (Stenoma sp.) were found 
in a few avocados purchased in the markets of the city of Guatemala. 
They burrow in the seed and are similar in size and general appear- 
ance to the weevil larvae (C onotrachelus sp.), but the damage which 
they occasion is by no means so great. The presence of these larvae 
can be detected by a small round hole on the surface of the seed. 
No instances of severe infestation were observed. 
Numerous scale insects attack the avocado in Guatemala, though 
severe infestations are very rare. At Almolonga, near Quezalte- 
nango, a tree was found rather badly infested with Pulvinaria floc- 
cifera West. Other scale insects which are found on the avocado in 
various parts of the country are the following: Aspidiotus lataniae, 
A. suhsimilis, Chrysomphalus dictyospermi, C. perseae^ C. persona- 
tus (masked scale), 0. scutifonnis, Diaspis hoisduvalii, Pseudopar- 
latoria ostreata, and Lepidosaphes nhiniosarum. These were all de- 
termined by the officers of the Federal Horticultural Board from ma- 
terial sent to Washington. 
While none of the scale insects mentioned are very destructive in 
Guatemala, their introduction into the avocado groves of California 
and Florida must be strictly guarded against. Under the different 
environmental conditions which exist in those States, they might 
quickly become much more serious than they are to-day in Guate- 
mala. 
Of parasitic fungi, three species were found on material sent to 
Washington from Guatemala. One of these, C olletotrichum gloeo- 
sporioides, is already well known in California and Florida, espe- 
