bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photoperiod, dormancy and the end of flight activity inChrysopa corneaStephens (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)
Authors: Bowden John
Published: July 2009

The flight activity ofChrysopa carneaSteph. was studied during 1970–77 using 21 suction traps sited between 50 and 58°N. in northwestern Europe. Flight continues until late October and early November, well beyond the time (late August) when reproductive diapause is initiated at these latitudes. Flight ends as an all-or-none response to changing daylengths, the most northern populations having a shorter critical photoperiod, about 10 h 20 min, between morning and evening civil twilights, than the most southern ones, the critical photoperiod of which is about 10 h 45 min. By contrast, the critical photoperiod for induction of reproductive diapause is longer in northern populations. At latitudes less than 30° N. there is no winter dormancy but there is sometimes aestivation during the hottest period of the summer. InC. carnea, uniquely, winter dormancy has two distinct components, reproductive diapause and loss of flight activity, each controlled independently by photoperiod.
The medical importance and behaviour ofSimulium austeniEdwards (Diptera: Simuliidae) in England
Authors: Hansford R. G. , Ladle M.
Published: July 2009

The biting habits ofSimulium austeniEdwards, a species widely distributed through Europe and European Russia, were investigated in a population of flies creating a medical problem along the Stour Valley, Dorset, England, in May each year. Surveys were made by questionnaires and ‘bite-recording forms’. Sweep-netting, suction-trapping and sticky-trapping of adult flies was carried out. A search was made for oviposition sites. After initial complaints in the early 1960s, the problem reached a peak between 1969 and 1971 and has since shown an apparent decline. Women suffered more than men, with most bites received on the lower limbs. Biting activity was greatest between 09.00 and 21.00 h, and flight activity was greatest in the afternoon. Extensive male swarms were associated with mating and smaller female swarms with blood-sucking. Mating probably precedes biting. The absence of eggs from surface vegetation or stones and their widespread occurrence in the sediment, suggest that oviposition takes places directly into the water.
A laboratory investigation of Paulinia acuminata (DeGeer) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) as a biological control agent for Salvinia molesta
Authors: Chisholm I. F.
Published: July 2009

The feeding rate of nymphs of Paulinia acuminata (Deg.) on Salvinia molesta was studied in the laboratory using single nymphs on different numbers of Salvinia leaves. Each successive instar ate more plant tissue, but at population densities likely to occur in nature it was unlikely that consumption rate could match the natural Salvinia growth rate. The controlling effect of Paulinia on Salvinia in Lake Kariba, Rhodesia, may therefore be negligible.
A comparison of methods of dispensing synthetic sex pheromone for the control of oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in Australia
Authors: Rothschild G. H. L.
Published: July 2009

Loss rates of (Z)-8-dodecenyl acetate and related compounds from various dispensers were compared at 15, 20 and 29° C in the laboratory. Comparisons were also made of the performance of these dispensers in pheromone disruption trials against Cydia molesta (Busck) in peach orchards in Australia, in terms of the reduction of male captures at pheromone traps. Hollow-fibre and polymeric-laminate dispensers were superior to various polyethylene and silicone-rubber designs in providing a relatively constant release of pheromone in time, at rates readily modified by altering the dimensions of the dispensers.
Rates of growth of the food fungus of the leaf-cutting antAtta cephalotes(L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on different substrates gathered by the ants
Authors: Mudd A. , Bateman G. L.
Published: July 2009

Growth of the food fungus of the leaf-cutting antAtta cephalotes(L.) on extracts of plants selected by the ants was shown to be affected by the plant species, the pH of the extract, the concentration of the sap or plant extract and pretreatment of the substrate by the ants. It was not possible to establish an unambiguous relationship between the rate of growth of the fungus on leaf extracts and the foraging preferences of the ants for the leaves. There were indications, however, that the fungus grows most rapidly on extracts of plant material preferred byA. cephalotes. Relative growth rates of the fungus on different substrates may be related to the presence of growth inhibitors rather than to nutrient availability.
Pupal diapause in Heliothis armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Botswana: its regulation by environmental factors
Authors: Roome R. E.
Published: July 2009

Heliothis armigera (Hb.) has been shown to develop continuously in tropical areas but to become more dependent with increasing latitude on a pupal diapause to survive the winter. The changes that occur in pupal period under ambient conditions in Botswana were examined. Pupae formed in May were able to survive the winter period and produce adults in September. Laboratory work using artificial environments showed that this extended pupal period is not simply a response to low pupal temperatures but is induced by the low temperatures and short daylengths experienced by the larva. Pupae from larvae reared at 27° C and a 14-h daylength (non-diapause pupae) initiated adult development even at 13° C. Pupae from larvae reared at 18° C and a 9-h daylength (diapause pupae) had similar pupal periods to non-diapause pupae at 33 and 27° C. However, at 18 and 13° C, diapause pupae had much longer developmental periods than non-diapause pupae. More diapause pupae were produced at 18° C from larvae reared in a 12-h daylength than from those in 15- or 9-h daylengths. The variation and importance of this temperature-labile facultative diapause over the extensive geographical range of H. armigera is discussed.
A method of studying the efficiency of traps for tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae) and other insects
Authors: Vale G. A. , Hargrove J. W.
Published: July 2009

An incomplete ring of electrified nets was placed round a trap or round an electrified net and visual target in woodland infested with Glossina morsitans morsitans Westw. and G. pallidipes Aust. in Rhodesia. The distribution of catches in these systems was used to estimate the minimum efficiencies with which the trap or net and target captured flies that were initially attracted by odours derived from a herd of cattle hidden below ground. With mature tsetse, the estimates for the trap were 23 and 21% for male and female G. morsitans, respectively, and 70 and 49% for male and female G. pallidipes. For the net and target, the corresponding figures were 29, 30, 53 and 43. The coefficient of variation of such estimates (about 10%) was low enough to suggest that the technique affords a quick and reliable means of screening the efficiency of many trap designs. Factors responsible for the efficiency of the trap were elucidated. Data for other insects were obtained.
A key-factor analysis of population fluctuations in Andraca bipunctata Walker (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae)
Authors: Banerjee B.
Published: July 2009

The causes of fluctuation and stabilisation in a population of Andraca bipunctata Wlk. on tea in India were assessed over three years using the technique of key-factor analysis. Failure to produce the maximum complement of eggs, together with female mortality and adult migration, is shown to be the key-factor. Other mortality factors include non-viability of eggs and parasitism of the caterpillars by the tachinid Cylindromyia sp. Mortality of the female pupae tends to stabilise the population by compensating for losses due to the key-factor, but neither this nor any other mortality factors appear to be significantly density-dependent. The need for devising specialised sampling procedures and statistical tests for tropical insect populations is discussed.
Notes on Coccid-infesting Chalcidoidea.—III
Authors: Waterston James
Published: July 2009

Like the preceding instalment, this part deals mainly with species bred on the West Coast of Africa. I have to thank Dr. L. Masi, of Genoa, for fig. 4, illustrating the wing base of Eusemion italicum, Masi.
Some fly poisons for outdoor and hospital use
Authors: Jackson A. C. , Lefroy H. M.
Published: July 2009

The method of poisoning flies by the exposure of solutions of sodium arsenite and sugar is one that has been advocated by entomologists in Italy and in South Africa for some years, and yielded good results in Mesopotamia in 1916; for in hot climates, where flies come readily to sugar solutions, the use of an outdoor poison is specially valuable. But there are obvious disadvantages in using any arsenic solutions; for not only are they poisonous in themselves, but the disposal of residues is not easy, as the arsenic and sugar remain poisonous if thrown away, or if they dry on sand or soil. It would thus be useful to substitute for arsenic some compound less poisonous to man and less stable in a soluble form when thrown away.
Observations on scale-insects (Coccidae)—III
Authors: Newstead Robert
Published: July 2009

Female, adult. More or less circular or faintly pentagonal ; low convex ; pseudo-margin strongly rounded, giving the insect a markedly “crustliform” (Green) appearance ; margin very thin and shallow ; anterior stigmatic clefts well defined. Dorsum with a slightly subcentral depression, from which there arise strong radial striae extending to the pseudo-margin. Anal cleft fused. Anal lobes in the subcentral depression, so that they appear almost in the middle of the back. Colour of dorsum brownish black, with minute reddish-buff glandular spots. Venter coffee-brown. Detached scurfy particles of a somewhat glassy secretion within the pseudomargin, and six larger particles of similar material, each resting upon a minute tubercle, arranged in a parallelogram near the central depression. Derm cells closely packed together, very irregular in shape, many being markedly attenuated at one extremity; these are divided into more or less definite radial bands corresponding to the spaces between external striae; in the central area of the dorsum they are almost obscured by the dense chitin, so that only the minute central pores are traceable; in this same area are a number of larger and clearer pores varying considerably in size, the larger ones radiating from the anal lobes.
Insects injurious to man and stock in Zanzibar
Authors: Aders W. M.
Published: July 2009

Zanzibar Town is roughly divided into two halves, the European quarter, with the Indian Bazaar, and the native African town, these two districts being separated by a tidal creek. The European quarter (where most of the Government officials and Europeans reside) is on the western side in close proximity to the sea. The periphery of the town is surrounded on the land side by various swamps, all of them potential mosquito-breeding areas during certain seasons of the year, some of them permanent throughout the year.
Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as egg predators of coconut pests, especially in relation to biological control of the coconut caterpillar, Opisina arenosella Walker (Lepidoptera: Xyloryctidae), in Sri Lanka
Authors: Way M. J. , Cammell M. E. , Bolton B. , Kanagaratnam P.
Published: July 2009

A study was made of ants in Sri Lankan coconut plantations, especially of species foraging and nesting in palm crowns. At least 11 species were found nesting in the spadices, and a special study was made of interactions between some likely to be insect egg predators or to interfere with predation. Oecophylla smaragdina (F.) and Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) were mutually exclusive, but some non-dominant species such as Monomorium spp. commonly nested and foraged in palms occupied by large populations of dominants such as O. smaragdina and Crematogaster sp. Eggs of the coconut pest Opisina arenosella Walker (and of Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton), which were used to simulate the former on palm fronds) were rapidly found and removed by certain ant species, notably M. floricola (Jerdan) and Crematogaster sp. Oecophylla smaragdina and P. longicornis seemed erratic as egg predators. Surveys of ants in areas where Opisina arenosella does, and does not, develop to outbreak populations showed that Monomorium spp. in particular were notably more common in the non-outbreak areas. However, other ants, notably Technomyrmex albipes (F. Smith), were sometimes common in outbreak areas and were seemingly good egg predators. The presence of thriving Oecophylla smaragdina colonies on currently attacked palms shows that this otherwise well-recognized predator has little or no effect on Opisina arenosella. It is concluded that several species of ants which nest in coconut palm crowns probably contribute importantly to the mortality of eggs of O. arenosella and help keep it in its rare endemic state in most places most of the time, even in outbreak areas.
A laboratory procedure for rearing the cowpea coreid, Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stål (Hemiptera), using dry cowpea seeds
Authors: Jackai Louis E. N.
Published: July 2009

A procedure for rearing Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stål on dry seeds of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is described. Dry seeds produced results for nymphal development and adult oviposition similar to those from fresh pods and fresh seeds, which are more frequently fed on by the insect in nature. The rearing method described here is much more efficient in terms of time and manpower requirements than the widely used method using fresh pods. Furthermore, the dry-seed procedure may be adapted for rearing other hemipteran pod pests of legumes.
Synonymy of two Apanteles species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) parasitizing the coconut flat moth, Agonoxena argaula Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Agonoxenidae)
Authors: Walker Annette K.
Published: July 2009

Apanteles agonoxenae Fullaway and A. orelia Nixon are founded to be conspecific. The valid name for this species is, A. agonoxenae and A. orelia is a junior synonym of it. The species, which is a parasite on the coconut pest Agonoxea argaula Meyrick in the south-western Pacific, is redescribed, its distribution and biology are summarized and attention is drawn to its potential as a biological control agent.
Assays of permethrin-impregnated fabrics and bioassays with mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Hossain M. I. , Curtis C. F. , Heekin J. P.
Published: July 2009

Pieces of netting and sheeting of various types were impregnated by dipping them in permethrin emulsion. Bioassays were performed in which three species of mosquitoes were exposed to the impregnated fabrics for periods of between 15 s and 8 min. When pieces of netting and sheeting were dipped in permethrin emulsion at ambient temperature, the amount of insecticide absorbed was generally proportional to the weight of liquid taken up, i.e. there was no evidence of selective absorption. Diffusion of permethrin did not occur between pieces of netting and sheeting sewn together. The LD50 on cotton nets was found to be about three times as great as on nylon nets.Aedes aegypti(L.) was found to be more susceptible thanAnopheles gambiaeGiles, which was more susceptible thanCulex quinquefasciatusSay. Although for most other groups of insecticides variation in time and dose have equivalent effects, for permethrin on netting this was not found to be true, i.e. on having the exposure time the LD50 was less than doubled.
A new species of Hypatima Hübner (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) injurious to mango trees in East Africa
Authors: Sattler K. , Stride A. B.
Published: July 2009

Hypatima mangiferae Sattler sp. n. is described from Kenya, where its larva is injurious to commercial mango trees. A description of its life-history, based on extensive field observations and laboratory studies, is also provided. The moth, its male and female genitalia and the damage caused by the larva are illustrated.
Factors influencing silhouette-trap captures of the blackfly Austrosimulium bancrofti (Taylor) (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Australian Capital Territory
Authors: Ballard J. W. O.
Published: July 2009

Three carbon-dioxide-baited silhouette traps of different shape were used to investigate aspects of trap-finding by Austrosimulium bancrofti (Taylor) in the Australian Capital Territory. Highly significant effects were included in a model which generated fitted estimates of the number of flies captured under defined conditions. Fitted captures indicated higher numbers were collected on two of the 15 trapping days. Low wind and high cloud cover increased trap catches. Temperature and solar flux had a quadratic effect, with fitted catches indicating that the highest numbers were captured at 19°C and 620·6 W/m2. The results were compared with trap captures of A. bancrofti 1300 km north in Queensland.
Population dynamics of three leafhopper vectors of rice tungro viruses, Nephotettix virescens (Distant), N. nigropictus (Stål) and Recilia dorsalis (Motschulsky) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), in farmers' fields in the Philippines
Authors: Cook A. G. , Perfect T. J.
Published: July 2009

The population dynamics of three vectors of rice tungro viruses (RTV), Nephotettix virescens (Distant), N. nigropictus (Stål) and Recilia dorsalis (Motschulsky), were investigated in farmers' fields in the Philippines from 1979 to 1984. R. dorsalis was the most abundant vector species on the rice seedbeds and weed covered levees between rice-growing seasons, whereas N. virescens was the most abundant on the rice crop. Population curves for the three species were similar in the same season, suggesting common population-regulating processes. Adults and nymphs of all three species were present at the sampling site during a four-month fallow period between crops.
Landing site preferences of Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood (Diptera: Glossinidae) in the laboratory: avoidance of horizontal features?
Authors: Doku Christopher , Brady John
Published: July 2009

Landing site preferences of fed males of Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood were measured in ca 50-cm-wide arenas in the laboratory. Flies were presented with simple black shapes of 225 cm2 against a white back-ground. Preference ran in the order: circle < square < triangle (whether the targets were black shapes on white or white on black). However, the triangle on its side (i.e. rotated through 90°) or the square presented as a diamond (i. e. rotated 45°) were both greatly preferred over their original orientations, whereas inverting the triangle (by rotating it 180°) greatly decreased its attractiveness. These preferences were retained whether the targets were compared paired or singly. The most obvious correlation was between preference and the relative lack of horizontal features in the target. When the diamond (the most attractive target) was split horizontally by a narrow white band, its attractiveness was reduced by ca 60%, whereas when split by a vertical band the attractiveness was reduced by only ca 25%. Similarly, when an additional narrow black bar was placed horizontally beneath the diamond its attractiveness was cut by 47%, whereas when the bar was placed vertically beside it the attractiveness was cut by only 28%. These reductions occurred even though the targets should have been more attractive because of their greater edge length and area. When the effect was tested with a series of rectangles, the greater the ratio of the vertical:horizontal edge length, the greater the attractiveness. The relative inhibition of landing by the presence of horizontal features in a laboratory-tested landing site thus seems clear, notwithstanding that horizontal resting sites in nature are the most preferred.
Direct measurement of host and parasitoid recruitment for assessment of total losses due to parasitism in a continuously breeding species, the cabbage aphid,Brevicoryne brassicae(L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Lopez E. R. , Van Driesche R. G.
Published: July 2009

In studies in Massachusetts, the population density ofBrevicoryne brassicae(L.) was measured over the lifespans of two groups of kale leaves from maturation to senescence, taking into consideration aphid spatial pattern (in colonies or as isolated insects) and aphid size as large (adults), medium-sized (nymphal instars 2–4) or small (first-instar nymphs) individuals. Total aphid densities per leaf in both leaf groups showed similar patterns of initial increase followed by a decrease as leaves aged over the 3–4-week period of leaf survival. Aphid densities reached peak values of 8·14 and 8·64 aphids per leaf for the two leaf groups studied, and 65–67% of all aphids observed occurred in colonies. Host and parasitoid recruitment to the aphid and the parasitoid immature populations were measured using a modification of the technique of Van Driesche & Bellows (1988). Total host recruitments per leaf were 43·7 and 64·6 aphids for the first and second leaf groups. Parasitoid recruitment was 6·8–8·1 for the first leaf group and 8·2–15·8 for the second. Recruitment values indicated 15·6–18.6% parasitism for the aphid cohort on the first leaf group and 12·7–24·4% for that on the second one.
The use of two-coloured screens for catching Glossina palpalis palpalis (Robineau-Desvoidy) (Diptera: Glossinidae)
Authors: Green C. H.
Published: July 2009

Designs for insecticide-impregnated screens based on combinations of two different colours were evaluated for their attractiveness to Glossina palpalis palpalis (Robineau-Desvoidy) in the Ivory Coast. Screens were tested with flanking panels of mosquito netting (flanked screens) and without such panels (simple screens), using electric nets to catch flies contacting cloth of various colours or mosquito netting. No flanked screen caught more flies than an all-blue single-coloured screen; flanked screens without blue portions generally had lower catches than those with blue portions. The majority of flies was always caught over the netting panels rather than over the cloth screens, although the proportions varied for different colours. Among simple screens, one half pthalogen blue and half ultraviolet-reflecting white caught 2·4 times as many female flies as an all-blue screen and 3·6 times as many as an all-white (ultraviolet-reflecting) screen. The basis for this synergistic effect is that blue attracts flies strongly to a position near the target (e.g. circling), while the white induces landing responses; in the blue-and-white simple screens, 77% of all tsetse landed on the white surface. Several other colour combinations in simple screens gave similar results to the blue-and-white screen for females flies, for example black-and-white, and one of the blue-and-light-blue combinations. For males, the best combination for simple screens was blue and black. In tests of different configurations of blue and ultraviolet-white on simple screens, most flies were caught using a diagonally-divided screen, the lower triangular portion being white and the upper one blue.
Evaluation of damage thresholds for insecticidal control of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on cotton in eastern Tanzania
Authors: Kabissa J. C. B.
Published: July 2009

The value of damage thresholds in determining the need for insecticide sprays against Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) on cotton was evaluated in 1984 and 1985 in eastern Tanzania. Spraying at thresholds of 10, 20, 40 and 80% damaged squares was compared against spraying on a recommended prophylactic regime of six fixed-interval sprays. In both years, spraying on damage thresholds reduced the number of insecticide applications from six to between one and five without significantly affecting control of H. armigera, seed cotton yield or overall levels of damage to cotton.
Mechanisms of insecticide resistance inAedes aegypti(L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) from Puerto Rico
Authors: Hemingway J. , Boddington R. G. , Harris J. , Dunbar S. J.
Published: July 2009

A strain ofAedes aegypti(L.) was collected in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, in 1987 and reared through to the F2generation. The strain was shown to be heterozygous for resistance to a range of pyrethroids, but there was no evidence of organophosphate and carbamate resistance. Biochemical studies indicated that the pyrethroid resistance was not metabolically based. Electrophysiological studies at the neuromuscular junction of resistant insects indicated that akdr(nerve insensitivity) type mechanism was operating in this strain. It is not known whether this mechanism was selected by earlier DDT exposure or by the recent ultra-low-volume applications of pyrethroids.
Population studies and biological control of Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) on passion fruit in Western Samoa
Authors: Liebregts W. J. M. M , Sands D. P. A , Bourne A. S.
Published: July 2009

The development of infestations of Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti) on passion fruit vines in Western Samoa was monitored at two sites over a period of 20 months, during which the aphelinid parasitoids Encarsia berlesei (Howard) and E. diaspidicola (Silvestri) were released. All vines were rated for P. pentagona infestations, and the female scale insects were counted on selected vines. At one site, the numbers of P. pentagona built up to over 10 000 adult females per vine before the parasitoids became established, and within one year 50% of the vines died. At the other site, where vines survived, an endemic coccinellid predator, Sticholotis quadrisignata Weise, kept populations below 3000 females per vine until the parasitoids became established. Biological control of P. pentagona was achieved at both sites eight months after the parasitoids were introduced. A model for interaction of P. pentagona and parasitoids predicted higher levels for parasitization than revealed by microscopic examination.
Changes in leaf hardness and moisture content of water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, following feeding by Neochetina eichhorniae Warner (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
Authors: Wright A. D. , Boland N. P. , Kerr J. D.
Published: July 2009

Feeding by adults of Neochetina eichhorniae Warner on water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, significantly increased the hardness of the lamina of the youngest leaf and the petioles of the youngest three leaves, while the moisture content of the petioles and laminae was significantly reduced. However, variations in leaf hardness did not significantly affect feeding by the weevils, and leaf age was considered to have a greater effect. The results help explain field observations of the relative abundances of N. eichhorniae and the pyralid Sameodes albiguttalis (Warren), which also attacks water hyacinth.
Pod wall trichomes and resistance of two wild cowpea, Vigna vexillata, accessions to Maruca testualis (Geyer) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stål (Hemiptera: Coreidae)
Authors: Jackai L. E. N. , Oghiakhe S.
Published: July 2009

Experiments were conducted to investigate the role of pubescence in the resistance of two wild cowpea varieties, TVNu 72 and TVNu 73, to feeding and damage caused by two cowpea pests, Maruca testulalis (Geyer) and Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stål. The fine structure of the trichomes was also studied by electron microscopy in order to try to determine the role played by trichomes in the resistance of these varieties to both pests. Feeding and development were deterred in both insects on pods of TVNu 72 and TVNu 73 with or without trichomes compared to the susceptible variety, IT84E-124. In M. testulalis, the same effect was observed on seeds and flowers. However, M. testulalis larvae fed and developed better, as indicated by the higher growth index values, when trichomes were removed. Growth index estimates showed a 13-fold decrease when trichomes were left intact on both TVNu 72 and TVNu 73 compared to the cultivated susceptible control. It was concluded that resistance to M. testulalis was based on trichomes in the first instance (as a first line of defence) and phytochemicals. Survival of C. tomentosicollis nymphs was not affected by trichome removal even though adult feeding damage was slightly increased. This is explained in line with previous reports which indicate that phytochemicals may be the principal factor in the resistance of TVNu 72 and TVNu 73 to this species. Glandular and non-glandular trichomes were found to be present on both the cultivated and wild cowpea. Trichomes in the two types of cowpea differ significantly only in trichome number (susceptible cultivated cowpeas have more) and non-glandular trichome length (those on wild cowpea are ca 20 times longer). Trichome length and angle to pod surface seemed to be more important than density per se.
A new genus and two new species of mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) from South Africa on bulbs and corms imported into Great Britain
Authors: Williams D. J.
Published: July 2009

Cormiococcus gen. n. is described for C. dieramae sp. n., a mealybug collected in South Africa on the corms of Dierama sp., imported to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, UK. Another mealybug species, Chorizococcus lachenaliae sp. n., is described from the bulbs of Lachenaliae sp., imported from South Africa to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Chorizococcus bardus (De Lotto) comb. n., originally described from South Africa on bulbs of Narcissus capensis, is transferred from Maconellicoccus Ezzat.
A portable allozyme electrophoresis kit used to identify members of the Simulium damnosum Theobald complex (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the field
Authors: Thomson M. C. , Davies J. B. , Wilson M. D.
Published: July 2009

A cheap power pack that could be run off a 12-V car battery was constructed using a 12–250–V DC-DC converter. The power pack is small and light and can be used to run a Helena cellulose acetate electrophoresis system away from a mains electricity supply. The system was used sucessfully to identify adults of the Simulium damnosum Theobald complex in a field laboratory in northern Sierra Leone.
The control of rice stem-borers (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) by insecticides applied to the roots of rice plants
Authors: Islam B. N. , Miah M. A. Hamid
Published: July 2009

Experiments were conducted in Bangladesh in April–July and July–December to study the effectiveness of three methods of insecticide application to three varieties of rice against the stem-borers Scirpophaga incertulas (Wlk.) and Chilo polychrysus (Meyr.). In April–July, seedlings of the varieties IR8 and Dacca-14 were uprooted when 22 days old and treated individually with 0·0375%, 0·075%, 0·15% or 0·3% diazinon (as Diazinon 60 EC), dicrotophos (as Bidrin 85 EC) or carbaryl (as Sevin 85 SP) or 0·3% γ-BHC dust for 12, followed by dipping for 12 h in fresh water and then transplantation. In July–December, the same treatments were applied by controlled irrigation to the seedbeds of the varieties IR8 and Dacca-25 and for 40 h when the seedlings were 24 days old. In another experiment in July–December, granular formulations of diazinon (as Diazinon 5G), dicrotophos (as Bidrin 5G) and Sevidol (a mixed formulation of carbaryl 8G plus γ-BHC 8G) were also applied to the transplanted field at an interval of 20 days. Insecticides applied to uprooted seedlings reduced borer populations more in the case of variety IR8 than in Dacca–14. Diazinon applied at 0·3% to the variety IR8 and Dacca–25 effectively reduced the borer population to 4–8 and 10·5%, respectively, for up to 41 days; γ-BHC applied to the seedbed did not show much response. Dicrotophos was not highly effective in controlling the borers. Granular formulations of Sevidol at 1–5, 2 and 2–5 kg a.i./ ha and diazinon at 2–5 kg a.i./ha controlled stem-borers more effectively in variety IR8 than in Dacca-25. Variety IR8 was found more susceptible to the stem-borers than Dacca-25 and Dacca-14.
Larval growth of some calliphorid and sarcophagid Diptera
Authors: Levot G. W. , Brown K. R. , Shipp E
Published: July 2009

The competitive abilities of seven calliphorid and one sarcophagid species were examined by investigation of various Characteristics of their larval growth curves. The relative success of each species is thought to depend to a great extent on the ability of the larvae to attain quickly the minimum weight for viable pupation. The ovoviviparous species (Calliphora nociva Hardy, C. augur (F.) and Parasarcophaga crassipalpis (Macq.)) were found to have the most rapid growth and Chrysomya megacephala (F.), Calliphora nociva and C. augur the highest assimilatory rate during the period of most rapid growth. Further, C. nociva, C. augur, Ch. megacephala and Ch. rufifacies (Macq.) were the species best adapted to pupation at low larval weight, which suggests that their food requirements for successful pupation were less (relative to maximum larval weight) than those of the other species. In this respect, Lucilia cuprina (Wied.) was also well–adapted and Ch. varipes (Macq.) was the least successful species.
New species and new records of Perkinsiella (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) from Papua New Guinea
Authors: Fennah R. G.
Published: July 2009

Six species of Perkinsiella, P. macrinus sp. n., P. diagoras sp. n., P. my con sp. n., P. bulli sp. n., P. falcipennis sp. n. and P. boreon sp. n., are described from material collected in Papua New Guinea. New locality records are given for the sugar-cane pests P. saccharicida Kirk., P. vastatrix (Bredd.), P. rattlei Muir, P. sinensis Kirk., P. lalokensis Muir, P. papuensis Muir and P. thompsoni Muir.
The management of acaricide resistance in the cattle tick, Boophilus microplus (Canestrini) (Acari: Ixodidae), in Australia
Authors: Sutherst R. W. , Comins H. N.
Published: July 2009

An analysis, using mathematical models, is presented of the ecological, genetic and economic factors that determine the optimal strategies for the long-term use of chemical control of Boophilus microplus (Can.) on cattle. As an illustration, the control of the tick in south-eastern Queensland is considered, but the approach is readily applicable in any other geographical area. It is suggested that optimal strategies take into account the need to delay the development of resistance to acaricides. The suggested strategies involve the use of tick-resistant Zebu-type cattle as a basis for tick control. High concentrations of acaricides are recommended to reduce seleotion of resistant ticks. Careful timing and moderation in the use of acaricides is also recommended to minimise the number of occasions on which resistant ticks are subjected to selection at times when they can successfully reproduce. As the spread of resistance is thought to occur primarily on moving cattle and before resistance is evident, stringent quarantine measures may slow down the spread.
Bionomics of the Tabanidae (Diptera) of the Canadian Prairie
Authors: Cameron Alfred E.
Published: July 2009

Notwithstanding the undoubted economic importance of the Tabanidae, which is second only to that of the Culicidae among blood-sucking insects, our information concerning the habits and life-histories of Canadian species is very meagre indeed. What knowledge we possess has been chiefly derived from the studies made by entomologists of the United States, who have discussed among others some of the species that occur on both sides of the international boundary. Of the species dealt with in the present paper, Hart (1896, p. 227) observed oviposition by Chrysops moerens, Walk., in Illinois, and a description of the egg was given. This brief account was supplemented by Hine (1906, p. 36) in Ohio, who published a detailed description of the process of oviposition of the same species and was, moreover, successful in rearing Tabanus lasiophthalmus, Macq., from the egg to the adult—the first time that this had been accomplished for a Tabanid species. Jones & Bradley (1923, p. 310), working in Louisiana, discovered in the course of their investigations on the Tabanidae a single larva of T. reinwardtii, Wied., from which an adult was reared, but no description of the larva was offered. Webb & Wells (1924) published an account of the partial life-cycle of T. phaenops, O.S., including descriptions of the early stages, as well as of T. insuetus, O.S., in which all stages other than the egg were obtained and described.
Notes on the Insects of the Sea-grape, Coccoloba uvifera (L.) Jacq., in Porto Rico and Adjacent Countries
Authors: Wolcott George N.
Published: July 2009

To lure tourists to the West Indies, the makers of travel literature are most apt to use for illustrations more or less accurate drawings of the coconut palm, as being the most easily recognisable and distinctive tree of these islands. Not so well-known, but quite as characteristic of their sandy beaches, and probably even more abundant, is the sea-grape with its stiff, erect shoots, its large, stiff, rounded leaves, and the gnarled and wind-distorted trunks of the older trees.
The Pink Bollworm of Queensland
Authors: Holdaway F. G.
Published: July 2009

The name Platyedra scutigera is proposed for a cotton insect of Queensland, previously reported as P. gossypiella. Its larval and pupal stages are described and notes on its bionomics and distribution are given.

There are at least four distinct species of Platyedra in Australia, P. gossypiella in West Australia and the Northern Territory, the other three in Queensland, one of which is the cotton pest, P. scutigera, the remaining two feeding on native Malvaceae.
Pseudococcus comstocki, Kuw., as an Enemy of the Banana (Musa cavendishii)
Authors: MacDougall R. Stewart
Published: July 2009

During a visit to the Canary Islands in the early autumn of 1924, the chief purpose of which was an inspection of the banana plantations for insect and allied pests, four enemies were found, each of which was the cause of some loss. Two of these had relatively small importance,viz. a red spider (Tetranychus) and a thrips. The red spider was known locally as the “ red bug,” the popular name being “ aranillos ” (the little spiders) ; the mites were found on the fruits, which showed the paleness and discolouration that characterise plant tissue wounded by the red spider mouth-parts. The thrips, known locally as “ black bug,” also caused a paleness and discolouration of the attacked fruit. Both of these enemies were known to the Spanish workers as “ bicho blanco ” (the animal which causes a whiteness). The other two enemies were much more serious, one of them a moth, the banana miner,Hieroxestis subcervinella, Walk., the subject of another paper ; the second a scale-insect,Pseudococcus comstocki, the subject of this paper.
The Braconid GenusAphrastobracon, Ashm.
Authors: Ramakrishna Aiyar T. V.
Published: July 2009

The genusA phrastobraconwas erected by Ashmead in 1895 to include an interesting new Braconid that was bred out from the lac insect,Tachardia albizziae, Gr., by Mr. E. E. Green, in Ceylon, and the species was namedA. flavipennis. Since then we have no further records of this insect from Ceylon or elsewhere. Even Mr. Green does not refer to it in connection with the same lac insect in his recent last volume on theCoccidaeof Ceylon, though he has made mention of another Braconid,Bracon greeni, Ashm., bred by him from the same host and described by Ashmead as the same time asA. flavipennis. However, this insect was noted by the writer of this paper some years ago in South India, and latterly during the course of his studies on the localCoccidaespecimens of this species were reared from two or three common scale-insects. It was at first thought to be a parasite on the scales and was identified by a well-known authority as a species ofMegalommum, Sz.; a record to this effect may be found in the author's “ List of Parasitic Hymenoptera of Economic Importance from South India ” published in 1921. Further studies and observations made on the bionomics of this insect in recent years revealed its true habit as a parasite, not on the scale, but on a Lepidopterous caterpillar feeding on the scale, and its correct identification was obtained after consulting two or three specialists. A brief reference to the insect, explaining its habits, is made in the author's recently published memoir on the nim mealy scale,Pulvinaria maxima, Gr.
Mosquito Notes.—VI
Authors: Edwards F. W.
Published: July 2009

Aëdes (Stegomyia) variegatus (Dol.) is a widely-spread species in the Australasian region, and under its synonym of Stegomyia pseudoscutellaris is well-known as the carrier of filaria in Fiji and Polynesia in general. Up to the present the existence of definite local variations has not been suspected, partly because the species itself has been regarded as the Australasian representative of the Oriental A. albopictus (Skuse). Recently, however, Dr. P. A. Buxton has discovered that larvae from Samoa and the New Hebrides differ in a constant manner, and at his suggestion I have scrutinised the whole series of specimens of this species in the British Museum. This examination appears to show that there are at least five distinct varieties, distinguishable by small differences of colour and also by the male hypopygium, especially in the form of the basal lobe of the side-piece. The characters are fairly well defined, but are perhaps best treated as varietal rather than specific, especially as their significance appears to be mainly geographical.
Two New Species of American Leptoconops (Diptera, Chironomidae)
Authors: Hoffman W. A.
Published: July 2009

Examination of a limited number of specimens of Leptoconops occurring in America indicates that at least several undescribed species exist in North and Central America and the West Indies. Paucity of material, however, prevents any detailed study of the group for the regions mentioned. Two members of the genus have, through their biting tendencies, made themselves decidedly obnoxious in the sections where they occur.
Notes on Australian Tabanidae (Diptera)
Authors: Taylor Frank H.
Published: July 2009

The following notes are the result of correspondence between Major E. E. Austen, of the British Museum, and myself concerning certain specimens of the family Tabanidae that were sent to him some time ago for critical notes, which are quoted below. It is a pleasure to thank him for having on several occasions given me the benefit of his extensive knowledge of the Diptera.
New Injurious Curculionidae (Col.)
Authors: Marshall Guy A. K.
Published: July 2009

♂♀. Integument black, with brown scaling ; the pronotum with two indefinite paler stripes ; the elytra with vague paler markings which sometimes form a very ill-defined band across the middle, broadly interrupted at the suture.

Head with the forehead divided into four areas by three deep sulci, the straight median one slightly narrower than the others, which are shallow in front and much deeper behind, curving at first inwards and then transversely outwards, so as to separate the lateral areas from the vertex ; the frontal areas of approximately the same width anteriorly, the median pair broader in front than behind and continuous with the vertex, the outer pair dilated and obtusely elevated behind, not projecting over the eyes ; the surface, when denuded of scales, with numerous minute punctures and sparse larger ones ; the eyes strongly convex, deepest behind the middle. Rostrum transverse (3 : 2), almost parallel-sided, the transverse basal incision very broad and deep ; the dorsum with a low median carina which begins to fork at or a little beyond its middle, and which at the base is as high as the narrowly separated areas on each side of it ; adjoining the carina a more or less deep curved impression, and a shallow oblique furrow on each side in the basal half ; the posterior margin of the epistome not higher than the median carina. Antennae with joint 1 of the funicle twice as long as 2, 3–7 a little longer than broad, 3–5 of equal width, 6 and 7 each becoming wider. Prothorax transverse (8 : 5), very strongly rounded (almost obtusely subangulate) at the sides, widest well before the middle, and scarcely constricted near the apex ; the apical margin truncate or shallowly sinuate, the base truncate ; the dorsum very convex longitudinally, highest at the middle, coarsely and confluently foveate, and with an abbreviated low median carina ; the scales small, subcircular and closely placed ; the setae short, scale-like and recumbent.
A local Outbreak of the Winter or Moose Tick, Dermacentor albipictus, Pack. (Ixodoidea) in Saskatchewan
Authors: Cameron Alfred E. , Fulton J. S.
Published: July 2009

(1) D. albipictus, known as the winter or moose tick, is a common parasite of moose, elk and deer in the forests of northern Saskatchewan. As in the outbreak described in this paper, it may attack and cause serious losses among the cattle and horses of settlers which are permitted to graze in the haunts frequented by its native hosts. Deaths among the moose are frequently attributed to the ravages of the tick.

(2) The eggs of D. albipictus are deposited in the ground by the engorged females, which continue to drop from the hosts throughout the winter until the beginning of May. The larvae emerge from the eggs during the late summer and probably remain dormant until such time as the period of drought passes and cooler weather arrives. Attachment to the host is achieved by the larvae in the autumn, and both the larval and nymphal moults are undertaken on one and the same host. During the summer months the hosts are free from its attacks.

(3) Infestation of cattle and horses may be prevented by their maintenance in fenced, tick-free pastures or in barns from the end of September until the beginning of May. Animals that have become infested may be treated with an arsenical dip. Dipping, however, cannot be safely accomplished after September in northern Saskatchewan because of the risk of severe chills that may be contracted by treated animals consequent on the low prevailing temperatures of the autumn months.

Tick-infested fields may be cleaned by being ploughed in the spring after all the ticks have dropped. The engorged females are buried, and even though the eggs may hatch, the larvae will find difficulty in reaching the surface in the autumn to attach themselves to a host.
The Fig Wax Scale (Ceroplastes rusci, L.) in Palestine
Authors: Bodkin G. E.
Published: July 2009

The cultivation of the fig tree in Palestine has not yet attained any great or highly valuable proportions, though there are many thousands of these trees scattered over the cultivatable portions of the country, all of which yield a certain amount of annual profit. In some parts a few, small, regularly-planted collections of trees exist which can, with dignity, be termed plantations.

The fig tree in this country is of hardy growth and seldom receives much attention beyond a yearly ploughing of its surrounding soil and the removal of the crop. It is, perhaps, because of its resistance to the rigours of heat, cold and dryness which are experienced in the gamut of the country's climates, and its ability to flourish and bear a crop of profitable fruit with a minimum of expenditure on upkeep, that it is so popular with the agricultural inhabitants of Palestine.

The fruit of this tree is either sold fresh or else marketed locally after a process of sun-drying, which forms a profitable industry in the hill districts and is quite capable of considerable expansion. Some eleven species of figs are grown in Palestine, four of which are excellent for drying.

The pests of this tree are not numerous and include the fig wax scale (Ceroplastes rusci, L.), the Mediterranean fruit-fly (Ceratitis capitata, Wied.), and a recently discovered Psyllid, which is confined to a comparatively small area. Of these the fig wax scale is by far the most important.
A Method for the Approximate Calculation of the Progress of Introduced Parasites of Insect Pests
Authors: Thompson W. R.
Published: July 2009

In a series of notes and papers published in the last few years, the writer has attempted to apply simple mathematical methods to the study of the numerical increase of entomophagous parasites at the expense of their hosts. This work was undertaken mainly in the hope of bringing to light the general laws underlying parasitic interrelations, considered simply in their quantitative aspect. But since the publication of these papers the writer has frequently been questioned by entomologists as to the utility of the mathematical method in parasitological operations of the practical order.