INSECT ATTACK

Evening Star, Issue 18031, 27 July 1922, Page 2

INSECT ATTACK

AX INTERESTING ADDRESS. Eight million pounds is the estimate of damage done by insects throughout New Zealand annually,” said Mr D. Miller (Government Entomologist) in the course of his lecture at the Medical School last night. That tins is a conservative estimate was generally conceded by the speakers at the Field Club’s lecture. Mr Miller showed, in a series of excellent slides, accompanied by explanatory remarks, some of the move outstanding insect problems with which New Zealand' is now faced. The problem of tho conservation of timber areas and protection from insect attack of both standing timber in tire forests and timber utilised in constructional work was briefly touched on, and in this connection alone Mr Miller estimates that Now Zealand loses annually at least £5,€00,000. Forest areas which 'have been accidentally burnt over still contain a large quantity of valuable timber which could be utilised, but which immediately falls a prey to iho attack of various beetles; and some of these beetles extend their attacks to sawn timber at nearby mills, and from there are distributed with, the sawn timber throughout the country. One of tho most destructive of these, which has sprung into prominence of late years, is a fairly largo beetle, and 'when this gets into a house the destruction is swift and extensive,. the house practically collapsing. Instances of this are becoming more frequent of late years. The “powder post” beetle and the ordinary borer are also on the increase, and methods of control are being studied by Mr Miller. The grass grub and army worm do immense damage to crop and pasture, directly affecting the agricultural products of the country; while in the North Island tho cattle tic is a comparatively new pest, with which the stock breeders will have to contend. It is a carrier of diseases affecting stock. Tim cattle are directly affected by the annoyance and loss of blood caused by. its attack. "The slide's illustrating these pests aroused considerable, interest, aa also did those illustrating the attacks of aphis on gum trees and midges on pear trees, where a graphic idea was given of what damage multitudes of” small insects could cause. A fairly successful moans of meeting these attacks - and overcoming the trouble had been devised (the speaker said) as a result of a careful study of their life history. The mosquito and housefly ns carriers of .human diseases, and tho moth attacking tho flax plants, were also described, and such insects as helped man by parasitising the insects that caused him loss were illustrated and described, A peculiar feature with regal'd to these parasites was that they frequently had hyper-parasites, which in their turn might again be parasitised, so that the controls were themselves under control in many instances. Mr Miller was accorded a hearty vote of thanks on the motion of Dr Benham, who said that the Naturalists’ Field Club could congratulate themselves on their good fortune in securing the aid of the Government Entomologist to help them with a. leoluro. The work Mr Miller’s department was called on to do was very heavy, and calls for its service came from one end of Now Zealand to the other, yet despite tho heavy te-x on Ohs time Mr Miller was willing to help when called on. Dr Benham hoped that the time would soon como when a chair of economic cntomolog} 7 would be established. The meeting closed with a very hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer. The chair was occupied by Mr S. Angel, vicepresident.