Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-04-17
INSECT FOES OF
|. CANE AND ROSES
.BEINGCONQUERED
EntomoI0gists at Planters Ex-
pertinent Station Breeding
Two Enemies of Pests
FREDERICK Al. MUIR
GETS THEM By SEARCH
ScourS Orient and Finally lo-
Gates What He Wants
in Philippines

mOiOSlSIS are Watching several cigar
boxes filed with cocoons at the sugar
planters experimental station on Kee-
aumoku street-for on their fate de-
ponds the fate of good deal of Oahu's
cane crop. Ii they turn out their
wasps, il the wasps do their work, II
they can live through the three stages
of cocoon, wasp and grub, it means
that the anomala beetle, foe of the
cane, and the Japanese beetle, foe or
the rose, ar conquered, for they can
not live where the tiphia and scotia
live. "Tiphia" and "scolia" are the
names OF the two wasps that 1t is
hoped will come from the cocoOns in
time.
Shipments of the cocoons come
from Manila on every boat. The Ha-
waiian Sugar Planters Association
has man in the Philippines gathering
and breeding them. He packs them
in a casing of mud from the cane.
fields before they leave, but this is
Knocked from them on their arrival
here and cotton batting wrapping SUBJ
stituted for it. A few are left in open
glass Jars without the wrapping and
subjected to the light. Others are
placed in the cane fields about the
island and at the experimental station.
All are examined carefully every day.
How Insects Were Found.
Frederick A. Muir is the man who
found the two insects that are to de-
stroy a pest that has been found on
Oahu's cane and the Japanese beetle,
condemned most vehemently by Homo
lulu householders because Of its rose.
bush depredations. He secured Japan,
Formosa and the whole tropical Orient
before he finally found what he want
ed in the Philippines. He returned
with his find and with the assistance
of p. H. Undertake, an entomolog1st
loaned by the department of agricul.
ture to the planters association, ia
propagating the wasps. Once it is
certain that they will thrive here they
viii be liberated in the cane fields and
left to do the work they are doing so
wonderfully well for the sugar plant
ers of the Philippines.
Read now the life story Of two
wasps and the good they can do as
told to reporter by Frederick A. Muir
entomologist>
..The anomala beetle is pest that
has been discovered at its work in
sections of Oahu very recently. 1T has
not spread to the other islands as yet,
but there is no telling when it may.
Its grub lives on the roots of the sugar
cane, breeds rapidly and does much
damage wherever it obtains a foot
hold.
sThe Japanese beetle is the insect
that makes rose cultivation almost nm
possible in Honolulu. 1t is too well
known to need description. Sufficient
to say that there are no rose bushes
in the lowlands because or it.
.The scotia is the enemy of both
the Japanese and anomala beetles. The
tiphia kills of the anomala only.
sThis despite the fact that it is ina
possible for scientists to tell the diff.
ference between the grub of the ano-
mala and the Japanese beetle with
ont the aid of a microscope. The two
wasps fiy close to the ground and with
unerring instinct bore six or seven
inches into the earth and deposit their
eggs on, the back of the beetle grubs.
The tiphia will not bother with the
Japanese beetle. does not even bore for
it From the surface of the earth 1t
knows the difference between the two
Ia difference that Il takes glass for
man. to discover.
"When the eggs are deposited the
wasps sting the grub and paralyze it..
It does not die. II it did it would
decay before the eggs hatch. That is
how nature cares for her own.
when the grubs hatch from the
eggs they eat the paraiyzed grub of
the anomala or Japanese beetle and
live on it until they are ready to spin.
tlfeir cocoons.
'.Thus the anomala and the Japanese
beetles are destroyed. The cocoons
turn out wasps and the whole pro-
cess starts over again.
Now that you know there is hope.
90 look up the florists catalogues and
be ready to order rose bushes as soon
as Mr.. Muir gives the word.
=