Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-05-21
DIR. FILLIPPI SILVESTRI MAKES
HIsFIRST REPORT ON PARASITES
Italian Entomoogst Covers in Detail Work in Wids of At
RIGA in Search of Insect to Destroy the Mediterranean Fly
Covering Period of Almost Year

DR.. Fillippi Silvestri, Italys famou,
| entomologist who has spent almost /;
! year, under the employ of the Terri
), tory of Hawaii, searching for a para
| site that would exterminate the Medi
terranean fruit.fly, has issued state
ment, covering his research work, hi;
hopes and anticipatiols. The state
ment, of which translation follows
was made yesterday afternoon:
Preliminary Work.
I'm May of 1912 | was engaged BY
the commissioners of the board of ag
riculture and forestry to undertake an
expedition to tropical West Africa in
search of parasite on the MediterIa
mean fruit-fy. After securing twelve
! months leave of absence from my gov.
eminent and having in the meantime
obtained credentials to the various
governors of West African states from
the governments Of Great Britain, Ger
, many France, Portugal and Italy,
left Portici, Italy, in July, 1912, and
proceeded to the West coast via Bor-
deaux and Canary Islands.
During the expedition visited and
investigated fruit-fy conditions in
tarts of Senegal, French guinea, Colo
Coast, Dahomey, Kamerun and Nige-
ria, and also to slight extent in An
COLA and the Congo. After meeting
with more or less obstacles in the way
of climatic as well as physical condi-
tions, | succeeded in securing four ii
not five new and undescribed species
of fruit-fiies of the genus Ceratitis to
which the so-called Mediterranean
fruit-f1y belongs, besides observing a
number of species already known to
science. With one or two exceptions
all of these species, including the Med
iterranean fruit-ay, were not found in
great abundance.
Bred Many Parasites.
After careful scientific observations
it was soon apparent that the reason
of the scarcity of most of the species
was because the fruit-fies were kept
in check by natural insect parasites.
During the progress of my research
work / bred out a number of parasites
from both the larvae and pnpae OF
practically all species OF fruit-fies OBJ
served and eventually found that the
latter were to a great extent attacked
in common by one or more of the same
species of parasites. These latter i
succeeded in rearing IL, numbers and
my time and the season being short
/ concluded to arrange my transporta-
ton to Cape Town South Africa,
where / knew / could secure an album
dance of Mediterranean fruit-fiy mate
rial for breeding and recolonizing such
of the parasites as could successfully
be transported to the latter locality.
Cape Town and its neighborhood
in South Africa is well known to be
badly infested with the fruit-fiy pest
and it was an easy matter to secure
there an abundance OF infested fruits
for breeding purposes. AT the end
of March, after three weeks So
journ at Cape Town, and having
strong colonies of at least three spe-
cies of parasites together with less
er number of two other species, de-
cided to take steamer from there to-
Sydney, New South Wales, direct. Il
arrived at the latter port, towards the
end of April with several species of
parasites in large numbers and in
good condition. On May 3 / took
steamer for Honolulu and arrived
here safely VIA a reasonable num-
Der of individuals of five species OF
parasites on Ceratitis capitata the
so-called Mediterranean fruit-fy.
Wasp.Like insects.
"The parasites brought belong to
the order. of Hymenoptera and are
exceedingly small wasp-like insects,
ranging in size from the smallest to
almost the largest ant you have on
Hawaii. Practically all OF these para
sites are new to science and will be
described by me later when prepar-
ing my official report to the commits
sioners of the board OF agriculture
and forestry.
Il feel sanguine as to the ultimate
success OF these parasites on the
Mediterranean fruit-fly in Hawaii I
provided they will acclimatiZe them
selves to existing conditions in the
Territory You must remember that
the native habitat of these insects
on the west coast of Africa is much
more tropical and the temperature
therefore much higher than in Ha- |
wall. Notwithstanding this have
every hope that some, if not all, of
the species will establish themselves
in due course and this in my opinion
they will accomplish provided the
conditions for their multiplication !
are GOOD. Il is probable that badly !
district on one of the other
islands where clean culture methods |
do not obtain will give the parasites
a better opportunity to multiply than
is at present found in Honolulu.
"Of the parasites successfully in |
troduced three are on the maggot or !
larva itself and two others on the !
pupa or chrysallis. One other i'm
Eortant and very interesting species
| very much regret having failed to
successfully introduce, the colony
having been unable to stand the nu-
merous changes met with enroute to
Honolulu from Africa.
Found NO Boil Worms
$50 far 1 am quite satisfied with
the way the parasites are taking hold
f-,.;4 81, io1 y,-s1ilS+ in p3n-