JOURNAL OF AGRICUmML RESEARCH 
Vol. XXV Washington, D. C., July 7, 1923 No. 1 
WORK AND PARASITISM OF THE MEDITERRANEAN 
FRUIT FLY IN HAWAII DURING 1919 AND 1920 1 
By H. F. Willard 
Assistant Entomologist , in Charge of Mediterranean Fruit-Fly Quarantine Inspection , 
Bureau of Entomology , United States Department of Agriculture 
Control by parasites has been the only method of combating the 
Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata Weidemann) in Hawaii that 
has met with any degree of success since its introduction in 1910. In 
1911 the Territorial government inaugurated a clean-culture campaign, 
which was taken over by the Federal Bureau of Entomology in 1912 and 
continued until 1914. This campaign consisted of gathering and de¬ 
stroying all host fruits in Honolulu. During its investigations of the 
fruit fly from 1912 to 1914 the Bureau of Entomology tried extensive 
spraying experiments with poisoned sprays, endeavoring to kill the adult 
flies. Both of these methods of control failed because of the great 
abundance and variety of host fruits, there being over 70 varieties in 
Honolulu alone, some of which are bearing at all seasons of the year. 
During the time these experiments were being made the Board of Agri¬ 
culture and Forestry of the Territory of Hawaii engaged Prof. F. Silvestri, 
an Italian entomologist, to travel in Africa and Australia in search of 
fruit-fly parasites. In May, 1913, he arrived in Honolulu with a few 
living specimens of the opiine larval parasites Opius humilis Silvestri 
from Africa and Diachasma tryoni Cameron from Australia. In 1914 the 
Territorial government sent D. T. Fullaway and J. C. Bridwell to Africa 
to search for additional parasites. As a result of this expedition two 
larval parasites, an opiine (Diachasma jullawayi Silvestri) and a chalcid 
(Tetrastichus giffardianus Silvestri) were introduced in October of that 
year. All four of these parasites soon became established and were 
distributed to all the larger islands of the Hawaiian group. 
The Bureau of Entomology, during its studies of the Mediterranean 
fruit fly in Hawaii and in conjunction with its quarantine work, has had 
an exceptional opportunity to observe the results achieved by these 
parasites since their introduction. A series of papers has been pub¬ 
lished, 2 giving yearly records of the work done by them, as individual 
1 Accepted for publication July n, 1921. 
2 Back, E. A., and Pemberton, C. E. parasitism among the larvae op the mediterranean pruit 
fly in Hawaii during 1914. In Bien. Rpt. Bd. Comrs. Agr. and Forestry Hawaii, 1913-14, p. 153-161. 
1915. 
-- PARASITISM AMONG THE LARVA} OP THE MEDITERRANEAN PRUIT PLY (c. CAPITATA) IN HAWAII 
during 1915. In Jour. Econ. Ent., v. 9. no. 2, p. 306-311. 1916. 
Pemberton, C. E., and Willard, H. F. fruit-fly parasitism in hawah during 1916. In Jour. Agr. 
Research, v. 12, no. 2, p. 103-108. 1918. 
-- WORK AND PARASITISM OP THE MEDITERRANEAN PRUIT FLY IN HAWAH DURING I917. In 
Jour. Agr. Research, v. 14, no. 13, p. 605-610. 1918. 
Willard, H. F. work and parasitism op the mediterranean fruit ply in hawah during 1918. In 
Jour. Agr. Research, v. 18, no. 8, p. 441-446. 1920. Literature cited, p. 446. 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Washington, D. C. 
afm 
Vol. XXV, No. 1 
July 7, 1923 
Key No. K-108 
48107—23-1 
(1) 
