THE NEW LACE-WING FLY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 407, 16 January 1909, Page 3

THE NEW LACE-WING FLY.

.Thenew .lace-wing; fly "introduced from the - Cook ! lslands ;td:help ! to suppress the aphis i pests /of' New Zealand;;has' not-yet been identified.. It is probable -that there are' many; ; insects"in .the'' Islands that'have -not/yet been' classified,';- and an/interesting virgin' *■-. -field of .work therefore, awaits southern" eritoBiologists; The -'"particular./ species; now. in-,.. / troduced ;/,to' New Zealand-Is T 'fouridv'in-;':the : Islands assembled in groups. In this, particular it is worthy of- special note, 'for other, 'act-iring 'flies, though well distributed, are' : usually. ;found ~ only in --isolated: specimens,' aot in .-groups.,. Either - the .'lsland variety., is Jiore successful in dodging;the. birds'.whicli devastate its elsewhere,-. or ■else itsi habits; lare : different,: or »itVis so, much > more prolific' that-iii aboundsVin spite l ,of; all: ' .. that. the birds; can. - do.'. The,.-,circumstance gives; it a'-special value, for it increases its ;; pest-killing capacity. „Where .an .. isolated ' specimen ..-would. war., hopelessly / against ..the 1 ; increasing hordes, of " the prolific -aphides,- the new" species iii; its, battalions; can : sometimes . sub'ceecp l in _ quite; demolishing 'its 1 ; natural prey. It is reported to do tliis on • the v.Mahd-'brange:. trees', completely /clearing many trees of, aphis.;; It/ also; appreciates the ads ditibhVito ,-its bill; of fare of the rose, aphis and' others of the .aphis.- family,, as' Has been ascertained- since' its introduction here.'- , . 'It 1 is.'almost'-incredible. that the beautiful frail; creature which tho lace-wing .fly- reprer seiits-when on the wing; should have emerged from a larva whose fierce; love of slaughter has gaincd.it the title of "ant lion.'-'v It is ;.. so voracious, - the., imaginative scientists-; tell ; us, that the mother fly lays her eggs. at. the tops ,of tall silken posts of her. own con- / struction,; to'prevent the first youngster, that hatches from immediately devouringits un- > •'hatched brothers- and -sisters. There is room among the/'hosts:.of ,N?w Zealand; aphides for; very extensive voracious- - ness, and,. it is very much to be - doubted jf; the new arrival will make the .übiquitous. ' interesting, aphis appreciably' Jess "numerous. Specimens have been . already " ' liberated around Auckland. In connection," with/.tho; Journey iof ! this; lace-wing fly . from''the . Islands occurred an incident that illustrates the peculiar .pitfalls .. that attend' tho work of ; insect - ' distribution. The-'breeding cage in which /the- first con-' ; sighnicnt- was .to. be -sent-to New;. Zealand happened to have an almost imperceptible . opening at one of the. cornersj- aoi'through this a number >of ants of carnivorous habits gained';admittance- and destroyed all • .the" . , flies -in the isage. - . ; The introduction- of such s ..' an - ant, if -it has not' already been /accomplished many times.- over' in .cases,of Island fruit, may. well be" guarded against, for, while it might-consume plant pests, it .mighty as in the case referred' to, prey also upon the farmers' friends.