The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-10-11
PROF. kOTINSkY
on MAUI BLIGHT
He Believes a Parasite to
Check Its Ravages Is
Available.

At meeting of the Manoa Improve
ment Club held at the residence o
Judge Cooper, Puupueo, the other night
it was resolved that the club TAX
action in regard to the acquisition a
a public club park of the premises a
the junction of upper and lower Mano;
roads with Kamehameha avenue.
A vote of thanks was rendered tht
Board of County Supervisors for tn,
| excellent completion of the Manoa roat
from Punahou to Kamehameha avenue
The following interesting letter from
Prof. Kotinsky, the entomologist of the
Board of Commissioners of Agriculture
and Forestry. was read and discussed
Honolulu, Hawaii, June "a, 1907.
To the President and Members of the
Manoa Improvement Club, Homo
lulu, T. II.
Gentlemen: In response to request
by one of your members, / take pleas
ure in addressing to you the following
notes relating to the so-called Maui
blight" elsewhere known as lantana
scale (Orthezia insignis, Douglass.
AS elsewhere pointed out by Mr..
Koebele and myself, this insect was
not introduced by Mr.. Koebele. 1t is
not known by whom the insect was
originally introduced into these IS
lands, but some ten or twelve years
ago it was discovered by Brother
nh Of al 1fr
der, on Maui, opposite the Catholic
school at Wailuku, whence the name
Maui blight" It is a common green
house pest in the States, where it is
called 1.-The greenhouse Orthezia." Mex
leo is probably it's native home, which
is apparently also of lantana, its prin-
cipal host. 1t is, however, recorded
also from England. South Africa, Maui
ritius, Ceylon, China, Brazil, British
Trinidad. Jamaica, Mexico and
the United States, on the following
plants: Coleus, lantana, ipomoeca,
strobilanthus, verbena,
achillea, saliva, cuphea, capsicum,
ageratum. vernonia, gardenia, chrys- /
lonicera. various species Of
citrus. tea plant. strawberry, tomato, |
md many other plants. This list will |
give you an idea Of it's possibilities for I
,vil. The entomologist of Ceylon, who |
s a specialist in this group of insects, |
vas very much apprehensiVe of results
when. it's presence was discovered in
hat country. Mr.. Koebele also, who I
las travelled so far and wide, was very
much exercised when it's presence on
hese islands became known to him.
lie has expressed his opinion in the
natter in one of his reports to the
government several years ago. It is
rue that thus far, because OF it's injury
o lantana, it has been more of a
lessing than an evil to US. The few
lants other than lantana that it has
cen found infesting here are of in
efficient consequence to justify radi-
al measures. Should such become nee
ssary, we are aware of effective para
ties of the pest existing in its home
4 Mexico and could introduce them
ute readily. In the case of city gar
ems in which plants subject to attack
y this insect are grown, some degree
f protection may be gained by clear
lg neighboring lots of infested lam
ana. The insect is dark gray in color,
ut profusely covered with waxy fla
tents forming a rather pretty pat
ern. A number of these filaments pro-
.ct considerably behind the insect,
,rming a sack, within which the eggs
re deposited. In all stages of its life
bears legs and antennae, but the
ale alone is endowed with wings. The
resence of useful legs in this group
insects is not very common. By
eans of these legs the insect man
ges to traverse short distances, but
5 in the case of other scale bugs, its :
rincipal means of transporta ton are
1ubtless wind, birds (on their feet
nd other insects not forgetting man.
s presence upon a plant is usually
anifested by the dirty, black, sooty
)pearance of the leaves and stems.
his is caused by the aceumula ton
dust and moldy growth in the
oney-dew excreted by the insects. AS
lie insects congregate on the under
des of leaves the honey-dew natural
falls to the upper surface of the
ayes below, which accounts for the Y
'nimon presence of the sooty film on
lie upper surface of the leaves.
Outside of general predators. like the 7
Hawaiian kissing bug" Czelus pere-
inus), which probably destroys some
the scale insects occasionally, there :
e no enemies of it existing on the
lands. In view of the large ranching E
terests here that consider this blight
an agent of lantana destruction.
Id since its attack upon useful plants 7
SO far, next to no Importance, we
Ould be scarcely justified in intro a
icing a specific parasite. Should oc- a
sion require it, however, I feel quite
rtain that it could be done. Re-
ectfully yours,
JACOB KOTINSKY,