Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-02-20

Il nus o"bAllNNNh w NONtihOl ltoiN lio iN
port on the insects preying on the Ian
tana in Mexico. The report is as fol.
lows:
Honolulu, Feb. Is, 1902.
His EXcellency Sanford B. Dole, Gov
ernor, Territory OF Hawaii
Dear sir:-At your request here
with give you notes on insects preying
upon lantana in Mexico. The observa-
tons made during my visit to that
country in 1898 were but limited, few
| seeds only of lantana camara were
found and in but one locality, In the
been seen near Orizaba and doubtless
will be found everywhere toward the
south from these localities, with addi-
tional host preying on the same. or
the insects bred from the white lanta-
ma, two at least could be safely intro
duced here, providing they are also
found preying on the seeds of d. Ca
mara.
II appears that very little is known
OF these minute little flies. living in
and destroying the seeds of these
plants. | have no works on hand re-
lating to the habits of Acromyza, save
DR.. l.. o. Towards book, 1901, p. 1877.
we find this brief no>e: THE Acrom-
yzid flies, as rule, are small insigniH
flcant creatures OF all colors. Tho
larvae of some OF them feed on living
plants, forming burrows or mines in
various parts and especially in the
leaves"
In Fauna Hawaiiensis. Diptera, by p.
II. Grimshaw, Just received, we find
the following note: Two specimens
belonging to this genus were obtained
by Mr.. Perkins. One was beaten from
trees at a height OF 5000 feet, in tho
Waianae mountains, Oahu, In April
1892; and the other is from Kona
Hawaii and was obtained at a height
of 1000 feet, in September of the same
year. Both specimens agree in most
respects with A. Pictella, Thoms., de
scribed from California, except that
the abdomen is entirely black. In the
present state OF our knowledge OF this
genus think II wiser to defer the de
scription OF this species rather thar
add another to the long list Of thos'
already named, which must include
great many synonyms"
NOTES ON LANTANA INSECTS,
n. 1904. .. r....
A few seeds of Lantana Camara col
lected at Cuautla, Morelos, Mexico, Au
gust 26 1898, produced a number o.
flies up to October. But few mature
seeds were observed on the shrubs ant
II seems that most OF them are infested
and eaten out by this dipterous larvae
hence the scarcity OF the plant which
is found but rarely.
Mr. Coquillet, in charge of the Dip
terra at the Department Of Agriculture
Washington, d. c., tells me the fly II
an Acromyza, and furthermore, thest
flies have never been known to be in
furious. Both Or. Howard anC
ESchwarz would not recommend the in
PRODUCTION OF this fly into Hawaii, say
ing 1t is not to be told what It ma!
lead to.
should not hesitate. for n moment
to introduce the same here In fact,
have repeatedly written TO Mexico 70
green seeds OF Lantana to study tn
fly carefully, yet nothing could be oh
tanned.
WHITE PIONEERING.
No. 1905.
Also at the end of August, 1898, q
Cuautla, Morelos. Mexico, the seeds O
the white towering Lantana were ex
amined and collected. On severa
shrubs not a single mature or goo
seed could be found, owing to the mas
5 Of insects preying on the same.
l. The larvae Of Lycaena Ia sma
2 blue butterfly was found but nc
z raised. This could be introduced her
If also found eating the seeds Of
Camara.
2. The larvae OF a small Pyralid wa
most numerous, The moth was bret
Should not be introduced until bette
. known.
. 3. A small Tined was also bre,
E Should be more carefully studied.
4. A small Trypeda fly appears to
very numerous. Its larvae living will
in the seeds. This may be of great in
pOrtance II II should be found to d.
4 YOUR the seeds OF our Lantana.
] ;. The larvae Of a Cecidomyid fl
Very numerous and eating out Il
seeds. May be equally important
us.
9. A few remains OF Chalcld flies sa
ed are apparently all parasitic upc
one or the other OF the above insects
/ Under the date of August 20, 1901,
y have fully reported upon orthezia i
8 signis, preying on Lantana, on MAJ
7 the possibility of what this scale mi
D.. do on our Islands. have since lear
ed that It Is also recorded from d
West Indies where 1t has no bett
| reputation than in India and Ceylo
= and again would warn Of an indiscrin
= nate distribution over all the islam
OF this serious pest. The sooner '
can introduce an effective enemy
the same. the better for the Islands.
Respectfully,
ALBERT KoEBELE,
Entomology
FOUR THOUSAND IN PRIZES,