Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-05
Director of Experiment Station
Tells of Progress in In
dustry'S CruSadeS

Some indication of the never.endin,
battle of Hawaii's sugar plantation.
against pests and cane diseases il
contained in the annual report Of H
r. Agee, director of the sugar plant
ers' experiment station The report
made to the experiment station com
mittee's printed report presented a
mites printed report presented a
the annual session of the planters
Director Agee, speaking on the prog
ress or the work for the year, says:
The Cane 6orer
There is no change as to the status
OF this pest. The situation is the
same as that reported a year ago
The parasite (the Tachinid fly) has
attained maximum efficiency in al
districts with the exception of Kau
Hawaii. Mr.. SweZey reports that eyi
dence is yet lacking as to its establish.
ment on the Kau plantations.
A full account Of the work OF the
control OF the cane borer through the
introduction of the Tachinid parasite
!. has been prepared by Messrs. Muil
and Swezey apd published as Bulletin
-. 13 of the chronological Series
Under the title, THE Cane Borer
Beetle in Hawaii and Its Control by
Natural Enemies.
The Lesfhopper Situation
Conditions respecting this pes.
have been about normal. Several
plantations have reported outbreaks
but for the most part these we're not
serious. The depredations at the plan,
tation of the Hawaiian Agricultural
Company have caused definite dam
age, but Mr.. Swezey now reports that
the situation shows improvement. In
the upper fields OF the Olaa Sugar
Company there is an extensive infesta.
ton OF leafhoppers at the present
time. +
New Lssfhopper Parasites from For
mosa
A year ago we stated that ii was
Mr.. Muir's plan TO effect more rigid
control OF the leafhoppers by securing
additional egg parasites from Formosa
and II is now gratifying to report that
he has introduced three new species
and that there is good reason to ex,
pect that these parasites viii become
established.
These Mr.. Muir brought with him
in returning from the Philippines by
way of Formasa. One of them is a
Mymarid of the genus Paranagrus and
very similar to Paranagrus optabilis,
our very valuable species introduced
from Australia IL years ago.
The other two Formosa leafhopper
egg parasites were species OF Cote
trastichus OF the family Chalcididae,
and are related to the Ootetrastichus
beatus introduced from Fiji in 1905.
One of these species issued in suf-
ficient numbers from the material
brought by Mr.. Muir for colonies 70
be sent directly to several plantations.
Those retained in cages failed to
breed, but 1t is hoped that they be-
came established from the. liberated
@1onies. The other species of For
hosa Ootetrastichus issued in smaller
numbers from the original material
brought in by Mr., Muir, and though
Ne entire colony was retained In the
breeding cages they have propogateo
readily. and colonies have already
been handled by Mr.. Swezey and Mr..
Timberlake. with the result that col
onfes are now being liberated on plan
tations where there is an abundance
OF leafhoppers. Twenty-eight colonies
have been distributed to date.
The comparative facility with winch
this project is proceeding should IN
no way belittle the attainment. MT.
Muir has accomplished very import
ant niece of work in securing three
additional egg parasites of the lear
hopper, and the success in handing
the introduced material Is due to the
expert attention II has received from
MT. Swezey and Mr.. Timberlake. De-
spite the natural enemies already here
there have been alarming leafhopper
outbreaks within the past few years.
The seriousness of this pest is wen
known and these steps toward IT'S
more rigid control deserve more than
casual consideration.
The Anomala Beetle
The beetle Is spreading, slowly ex'
tending its damage into the cane
fields at the outskirts of the infested
district. One outlying center of in
festation has been noted about one
mile without the principal area. But
the Anomala beetle is confined as yet
TO the plantations of the Honolulu
Plantation Company and the Oahu
Sugar Company (including the Waipio
sub-station) Additional centers OF in
Astation are to be expected, Mr..
,wezey informs us, in calling atten-
ton TO cane trains and the like as am
pie reasons by which adult beetles
may be transported from one portion
of a plantation to another. He con
siders, however, that the chances of
such distribution are small indeed
compared with the beetles own power
of flight That they have not be
come established throughout the cane
areas of Oahu. he thinks. can be at.