The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-05-24
OUR INSECT ENEMIES
REPORT BY PROF
r.. G. l.. PERKINS.
Made at the Request of the Planters
Prevent Entrance of New Ones.

Association Committee on Means to
Prevent Entrance of New Ones.
The Planters Association has just
published the report of it's special COM
nittee on Precautions to be Observed
with Regard to Cane Importations."
The committee urge that all planters
III importing cane for experimental pur-
poses shall import it by way of Homo
lulu so that it can be thoroughly ex-
amined by Prof. Koebele or Prof. Per-
kins to prevent the introduction of
pests and noXious insects. The report
includes an exhaustive report by Prof.
r G. l.. Perkins on the insect enemies
of cane already in these Islands, of
which the following is the major part:
Honolulu, II, T.. May Sth 1902.
Mr.. c. f. Eckardt.
Dear Sir:-In answer to your letter
of May 5th l will reply to your ques-
tons in the order in which you have
stated them in that letter.
D. What are the insects of an in
furious nature already existing i'm
these Islands?
The insects positively more or less in
furious to cane together with one or
two which are somewhat doubtfully
edge goes fifteen in number. Divided
according to the classes to which they
belong they are as follows:
Beetles: a.. The cane Cane-DOrer
Sphenophorus obscurus); (O, Long
horned beetle (AegOsoma reheXumD;
90, small borer (Hypothenemus sp-);
ca, Nitidulid beetle CHaptoncus sp?.
Caterpilars: %, Omiodes acepta and
probably the very closely allied Species
co, o. epicentra: (3), the "peelua'
(SpOdOptera mauritia).
Flies: %, FOur-banded fly Fam
Ortalidae, perhaps Euxesta annonae).
Crickets, &c. %, Mole-cricket CGryl-
lCtalpa africana) C2). Short-horned
grasshopper (OXya velox); CD, Long
horned grasshopper (Xiphidium fus-
Cum).
Bugs q and p, Leaf-hoppers q
speeies) CFulgordae); go, Farmhouse
tAphis sp0; %, Mealy-bug Dactylo-
plus sp0.
(2. Generally speaking in what man.
ner do they affect the cane, and about
what would you judge their relative in
furious action to be?
The above listed species may be di-
vided according to their mode of at
tack as follows:
d. Boring in the stem, or eating or
- Snbenonborus Sagosona LIvnotbe-
menus, Gryllotalpa; (2), Eating leaves
Only-Omiodes, OXya, Xiphidium. Spo-
doptera (the latter only on young
leaves); 90, Sucking juices generally
from leaves-Dactylopiu Aphis, and
leaf-hoppers; %, Feeding on parts at
nracedinG snecias- Hartorcus
D., Co., ~ ,,o,+ iIi,,,.ious of +basa
;,,sa,+, &, tI,a .,ho,,o,'' ,,,toro,,e,. - a.
,,,,s IN n,n,tars aud its ,,oIiy is Of
cCI,rse Vol known to Won Tho Iono-
bo,,, baetla IAaoosor,aS is Of nm i'm
.,o,.tance onI,, oftaclliney cona accidant-
a,I,, Tts natrraI FOOD is tho dacayine,
wood of forest treee and II would at
n.ost no fnund for a fa,v vaars on cane
Ina which has at no very long neriod
s,rce horne forest traas In sucb situa-
| IONS tho larvae ,night remain for some
,ears eating cane only when driven nv
Starvation or in search of suitable
| frod The Hvnothenemus belongs to
tho same qroun of beetles as the noto-
rious "shot-horer' of the West Indies.
! I have only noticed if in refuse cane.
asnecialIv such as has been partially
bnrnt hut II might If much of this
" ere left living. multiply to an excess
sive extent and then attack healthy
nIants as is known to be the case with
allied kinds of beetles.
The. caterpilIars of the two Omiodes
feed on ora sses as well as cane leaves.
Consequently though extremely album
dant their attack is spread over a very
| large area. Moreover, they are a eav-
orite. for of an abundant native wasp.
which EXISTS on the islands at all sea-
cons in millions of individuals. Enor-
mons numbers of these caterpillars
must he DESTROYED by the wasps since
eacb Of tbe latter is bred at the eX-
nanse of from four to a dozen of the
| former and With a steady population
OF millions of wasps throughout the
wear there are evidently several broods
| Of thesa hatched in this period. Should
any bird or narasite insect be imported
which vouId diminish the numbers of
n, evterminate these Wasps, | antici-
te maj the caterpillars would do ex-
cessi,a damage both TO cane and pas
tpre lands the more so as on account
of their habits thew would be them
selves IittIe subject TO the attacks of
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