Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-05-21
landled By me on the voyage.

J handled By me on the voyage.
| Il am sorry to say | did not come
across any parasites for the species of
cotton boil worm which you have here
/, in Hawaii While searching for para
sites on the frnit-fly | devoted much
attention to the boil worm but did not
lind it in evidence anywhere in the
parts of West Africa / visited / Sc
cured some information, however, as
to possible localities on the East
Coast where this particular species
OF boil worm is said to exist and if
opportunity is afforded me later
may be in a position to succeed in
securing effective parasites on that
pest.
Already Experimenting
Il was also aware that you have
had the melon fly here in Hawaii for
some years and the president of the
board of agriculture and forestry in
securing my services particularly re-
ferred to this pest as well as that of
the cotton boil worm. l was unable,
and in fact did not expect, to find that
particular species of fruit-fly In West
Africt. 1t belongs to an entirely diff
ferent genus of fruit-flies from that of
the so-called Mediterranean fly and is
supposed to have its home in India,
where l have no doubt. it has its nat
ural parasites. Should / go to East
Africa at some future time to search
for parasites on the cotton boil worm
ii would be an easy matter to take in
India on that particular expedition
and good results would possibly en-
sue. In West Africa /, however, met
with one or two other species of the
same genus of fruit-flies as your
melon fly and from these bred para
sites.
81 am already experimenting with
the pupae of the melon fly in the Ho-
nolulu insectary, and would not be at
all surprised to find that one or more
of the parasites have just introduced
may incidentally If not effectively at
tach themselves also to the melon
fruit-fly. 1t is. however. altogether
impossible to give any assurances on
this point any more than it is pos
sible to say that any of the para
sites will surely acclimatize them
selves and do effective work in Ha-
wall under natural conditions as they
undoubtedly do in their native habitat
as well as in captivity in the insect
ary.
Leaves in two Weeks
Effective parasitic work Is alto
gether problematical and the fact that
the success obtained in securing a
parasite on any particular pest or of
its introduction into any country must
not be intended to mean that its final
establishment under natural con-
ditions is a foregone conclusion.
Whilst Hawaii has heretofore been
specially successful in parasitic re-
search work because of the eminent
scientists who have been in charge
of field and laboratory operations
other countries have not all met with
equal success. have particularly re-
ferred to the successful work done
by the entomologists of the Hawaiian
sugar planters association. Combat |
ting insect pests by means of natural |
insect enemies is not universal by
any means and such work might well
be considered as only Just begun. In |
this particular line of entomology /
am most interested having, already |
into the agricultural dis
tricts of Italy many beneficial insects.
Il am obliged to leave in about two !
weeks, my twelve months leave of alb !
sence as professor of entomology in
the Royal School of Agriculture at |
Portieri, Italy, expiring at the end of |
the coming month.
"F. SILVESTRI."
Honolulu, May 90, 1913.