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INSSCT CONDITIONS IN PORTO HI CO DURING JAFJARY AND FEBRUARY, 1931. 
M. D. Leonard 
Insular Experiment Station, Rio Piedras, Porto Rico. 
Beginning; last December a general infestation of the yellow cane 
aphid ( Sinha fl ava Forbes) has "been building -up in the western end of the 
island. Continued dry weather, and in some sugarcane fields a consider- 
able percentage of parasitism of the larvae of the predacious coccinellid 
Cyclone da sanguinea L. by a chalcid resulted finally in considerable 
damage to young ratoon and plant cane. The principal area involved includes, 
from northwest to southwest, the towns of Isabela, Moca, Aguada,Rincon, 
Anasco, Mayaguez, Hormigueros, San German, Cabo Rojo, Lao as, and Guanica. 
Several local representatives of the Department of Agriculture told me 
that this has been the worst infestation for several years; not only 
Japanese cane but also P. 0. J. 28-78 have been affected. 
Sugarcane mealybugs (Pseudococcus spp. ) are present in moderate 
numbers in several sugarcane fields examined near Arecibo and Barceloneta 
during the latter part of February. The agricultural agent at Mayaguez 
has reported that mealybugs have been present in that general section 
since the first of the year in moderate* numbers, which is normal. 
The agricultural agent at Mayaguez reported that during February a 
planting of about 500 acres of sugarcane near Hormigueros was found at 
cutting time to have about 90 per cent infestation of the sugarcane borer 
(Diatraea saccharalis Fab. ) and that the sucrose content was considerably 
reduced. 
The field manager of a large sugar central near Agudilla told me 
recently that ™hite grubs (Phyllophaga spp. ) had been considerably 
reduced during this past season largely owing, he felt, to the introduction 
two years ago of a number of toads (Buf o marinus ) which had increased rapidly. 
Mir. Hein reports that he had found a few papaya fruits infested by 
the papaya fruit fly ( Toxotrypan a curvicauda Gerst. ) in and near Lares 
several times during January and February. 
A light infestation of beans at the Experiment Station by Keliothis 
ob sol eta Fab, was reported in February. Less than 1 per cent of the pods 
in about 1 acre was injured. (A. S. Mills. ) 
One larva- -{Of Maruca testulalis Geyer was found at Rio Piedras in a 
pod (C rotalar ia sp. ). A light infestation of larvae in blossom bu&s^and 
pods of lima beans occurred at Rio Piedras and also a light infestation in 
pods of string beans and pods of pigeon peas. (A. S. Mills. ) 
Larvae of Phly_c taenia rub i gal is Guen. did considerable damage to the 
leaves of both lima '"and string beans at Rio Piedras. (A. S. Mills.) 
The bean lacebug ( Corythucha gossypii Fab. ) is present in nearly all 
string and lima beans examined, in much smaller number than during the 
past summer months. (A. S. Mills. ) 
