EHITE BUTTERFLY PARASITES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21775, 6 May 1936, Page 10

EHITE BUTTERFLY PARASITES

Alleged Panger To Human Beings

RUMOUR DENIED BY ENTOMOLOGISTS

A rumour that parasites, which ihave been introduced into New Zealand to combat the white butterfly I pest, have been stinging human belings And causing fairly severe cases iof poisoning, has been current in many quarters recently. In the opinion of two prominent entomologists in Christchurch, who were interviewed yesterday by a representative of "The Press," however, it is "highly improbable" that the parasite is in any way dangerous to human beings. One case has been reported in which it was alleged that the patient, a woman, while working in her garden had been stung by one of the parasites. She suffered from a badly poisoned leg and was forced to stay in bed for two or three weeks. .It was reported that the parasites had been liberated in the garden in which she was working. Professor E. Percival of Canterbury University College, said yesterday that it was highly improbable that' the parasite would sting a human being. It was extremely doubtful whether an insect that would be dangerous to the health of a human being would be liberated in the country. In all cases when new insects were liberated in the country to combat pests, they were observed and tested for several years before being actually liberated: In this work the Cawthron Institute played a prominent part. In the case of the white butterfly parasite, it was not probable that the insect attacked any other organism than the one it was supposed to combat—the white butterfly. The parasite laid its eggs in the white butterfly caterpillar and by this means caused its destruction, but, continued Professor Percival, he had not heard of the parasite attacking any other organism. Referring to the case of poisoning mentioned above, Professor" Percival added that there was very little evidence to show that the woman had been stung by the parasite. There were many species of insects in every garden and it would be hard to distinguish the parasite from others. It was quite possible that the woman had been bitten by some other insect.

Insufficient Evidence

There was certainly insufficient evidence to prove that the poisoning had been caused by the parasite. Another prominent entomologist, Mr L. Morrison, said that there had been two species liberated in New Zealand to combat the white butterfly grub. The names of these insects were the Apanteles glomeratus and the Pteromalus puparum, but neither of these insects would attack human beings. They attacked only the white butterfly caterpillar—nothing else. The insects were very tiny and resembled a small wasp. There were, however, other species which would possibly poison a human being. Among these were the mosquitoes, most blood-sucking insects such as the sheep-ticks, biting flies, spiders, and beetles. In the case of beetles the-bite was not poisonous, but it made a puncture through which poison could enter.