AN' INSECT HUNTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 406, 15 January 1909, Page 5

AN' INSECT HUNTER.

: ;;; compere's work. ": '. " ilr. ;■ Compere, - West', Australia's entomblog-' ' r , ist, whp has: already, collected many''varieties "• J of carnivorous .insects for tho benefit of /'the . farmers ef; his .country: and California,•-. is •. I now in:.quest-0f,.: insect enemies of. woolly ! .: aphis," cabbage. ;,m'oth', ; potato moth, and' 'red : . scale.... The\;as3istant.-' entomologist of \: Australia'i'i'in.-the ■:'-'Journal; of Agriculture,'' ■ . "tliero- have: been liberated .600' ;. '. total:of about.;'lso,ooo. insectsVof • .. the ;%uit'.:;fly' ; [ by^Mr.-'&mpare^vand;in addition-a: number : of -- ; parasitised*.-■pripae j Y,'estiniated\':to . yield ; ; 20-000' ; sent: : ilto ■ South,,; ~ Africa.;;,!,• Parasitised/ pupae,'-,.fbvi'nd : ':m '.■•oi-i , ,'• charHs^^ieided^as-JrnhnyAip.arasitcs^as,'.those: ' .: prepared; ito; cages^'shbwingthat'\tliey: are; , ! : 'doing'. gpbd;.Vbrk'^mrthe.' ;bpen, -. Snd'.: may..;be: ' > expected,'-taWe , ;.a ! ;''fieavy^check' : \'.>ri-'ijJ.e' : pest.! }"' '.'Ma'ny'V'c'6lbriies'''of:' .scale;, parasites ■ tiave' , 1 beeh''lib'er'ated'/during.'the' year]" ', continues; , '■■ the report;;''ah'dv.tho.'fesiilts have h'een;fully. :-'. , appreciated by. : the- growers. '. . -The ; aphis parasites : have also, done excellent.work; ; ' in- all parts of-the-State. The. latest; addi-;, ■; ' tion. received .-from /Geylpnjhas- been ..founds ' ■ .previous '. , parasites \used. for, this, pest:".:'. : ...:;'..'>: :', ■ - /.The-fpllowing.hbte: regarding' the ladybirds' - ( j seems.: to'; emphasise, -the limited -usefulness' ; "of., ladybirds :-^-"Many...'. beneficial \ ladybirds ■ [ have "been received'frbin time to-\time ahd- ■ liberated to attack -various- orchard pestsi; :. arid-i..canrbe; found.doingvgood work.; It. is -■ hot 'claimed: f or ; the ladybifd-Vwhich ■is purely; ] ; predatory-^-what'is claimed for the internal;':; parasites, : predatory'ihsects.-being, as a rule/. .- much. larger;, and mpre:-easily iby::; : birds,,.etc.', : than the .'internal .parasite.", _.■.!■;■ .;. ' :v,,The' .amount', of .'insect .breeding -'andV.dis-, tribution. done ;,in" Western Australia is shown:' byL.'the'.:fo!lowing';]ist,, of parasites distributed:; to;: ! fafmers,'during:Jast' season :rr/.;;-:v; .' /i ' '.-• : ;60-Colonies,black, scalejjarasites: •'.' . .'..:;■ -scale' parasites'..;. : y! . ; :-: j . , -.62 Colonies,~:brown. scale;-parasites; > - 1 :, ~l2l.'Colonies '.cabbage';, aphis, parasites.!. :;/ ■'■ ;■ ~12-Cblonies'Jladybird .parasites. . : ;; •■-■; >. -'4 Colonies cabbage-moth parasites.;;;, .',; '.• ,; ; : ;500.Colonies \fruit-Syjparasites.;;;^-, ';p-f ;'j '.. Cbhcerhine.the:diamcnd-back moth of.cab'i ;, bages .(well known in-New.; Zealand), the 'ier- v, port;states,:—?'This ; is, still a serious pest.;of J cabbage/ and. turnip./ From .the...evidence jpf. •', ' ''the growers.'it;.is) ten'"times;'-'easier to .grow. :, C3bbages';npw,.;thah-it;.was-spm©,,years ago/ .., This .is. due" to .the; very /.excellent, work; "of ', :the" introduced' parasites,,-and '.their activity, : j ■seems;-;to':be,.incr,easi.ng-;«very,.year.'',; -V '■-, ;i': j / y-'i^These/West,;Australian notes;on"the insect '-.; -friends,:will-'interest;:New Zealanders on ac- 'j ; count;pf the.-awakening that'is'taking place '•; '■ here :ihV:the; ; questicn,,pf.-insectß .as.insect i • .'lrillersiriSl'hcuEh^few^enfemblpgists.".possess ,'j ■' ; Mr.-.Compere's unb'burided.confidence in..the, ■; ■ capabilities/ofv the;;friendly 'insects, all .'will . ; benefit' from hiB:; experiments. '