The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-02-22
Experimenting WITH new
CODLIn6 MOTH DESTROYER
1t Is Believed the Remedy for the Wide
spread Evil Exists in an I'm
ported Parasite.

The horticulturists of Yakima county
are watching with interest the expert
ments with the codling moth destroyer
discovered by George Compere. French
scientist, that are being carried on in
California. The following article from
late issue of the San Francisco Chron-
icle will be read with Interests:
George Compere, government onto
mologist of western Australia, and dis,
coverer of the parasite which feeds upon
the larvae of the codling moth, is busy
at the Office of the deputy commission
er of horticulture propagating the insect
for shipment to the various counties of
this state. Already nine counties have
been supplied with the destroyer, and
the tenth jar went forward Friday.
Sturdy, bronzed, unassuming, and
with the determined lines of the trav-
eler and patient investigator, Mr. Com
pere talked naturally about his great
discovery on Thursday.
by no other states. aside from
western Australia and California, was
any interest taken in this codling moth
parasite said he, when the fact was
made known. The entomologists of the
various states of Australia belittled the
discovery and advised their respective
governments that there was nothing in
it. California was the only state that
Immediately took action, by the coop
Grafton of that state and Australia. with
the result that we now have a parasite
here that will add millions to the pockets
of the fruit growers of California by
combating the deadly work of the cod
ling moth among the apple and pear
trees. We have already liberated a
great many colonies. and there are sew
eral hundred more, as you see in that
jar. which will be liberated tomorrow
morning Now, in season or two they
will have multiplied enough to success
fully cope with the codling moth
'Mr Compcre came to San Francisco
almost directly from Spain, where he
discovered the parasite, a wasp-like in
sect, bearing the name Epnialtcs Car
bonarious. In the Deputy Commission
er's Office. was jar containing pre-
pared apple limbs in which the codIing
moths had placed their deadly larvae
and upon which the parasites were in
dustriously working. boring in with
their ovipo,itors, laying the egg and
sucking ont the life of the larvae.
The scheme by which California and
Australia co-operaied in the search for
a destroyer of the codling moth was
consummated in this city about year
ago. during Mr. Comperes visit. He
site of the fruit fly, for which ne had
made previous trip around the world
with varying success.
81 secured my information during
that first trip he said 4 discovered
the parasite of the fruit fly in Brazil
and took it with me personally to west
ern Australia, and kept those insects
alive for forty-fve days. continuous
journey, reaching Australia in the dead
of winter.
az had always been under tine i'm
preston that the codling moth parasite
existed in southern Europe. Therefore.
while ! was in that country. paid par
ticular attention to that, notwithstand-
ing that | was working on separate
and distinct insect from that at the
time.
"'The parasite belongs to the ichncu-
mon family, and these insects are gen
orally the enemies of all butterfly and
beetle larvae, each species having their
own particular species to feed upon. 1t
is a member of very large group Of
insects.
"'The parasite searches over the bark
of the tree, and where it finds place
where the codling moth larvae mas
grubbed under the loose bark of tie
fruit tree, it Immediately begins to
place itself over the spot, and with the
ovipositor (egg tube), it feels its way
into the cocoon, and if the worm is in
the proper condition to receive the egg,
not having received any egg before, the