EFFECTIVE MEASURES

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4527, 5 April 1934, Page 5

EFFECTIVE MEASURES

WHITE BUTTERFLY PEST. NUMBERS DECREASING. A statement that the white butterfly pest is being brought under control in Hawke's Bay was made by Mr. J. Muggeridge, Government Entomologist at the Plant Research Station, Palmerston North. He added that the butterflies were not nearly so numerous there as last year. Out of 6000 butterfly pupae recently collected at random 70 _ per cent, found to be parasitised. The methods adopted were the liberation of larval and pupal parasites, the first consignment being 10,000. These insects from England were liberated in January and February last year in a concentrated locality in Hawkes' Bay. In the present season 200,000 larval parasites were liberated, including the Manawatu district.

A feature of pupal parasites in Hawke's Bay, said Mr. Muggeridge, had been their amazing spread from the original point of distribution over hundreds of square miles. It was now definitely established that a decrease had taken place in the number of the pests where the liberation of the pupal parasites had been carried out. The larval parasite was not yet showing effective results, but it was too early yet for comment. "The main object now," he said, "is to build up a huge surely of pupal parasites for wide distribution during the coming season."

An easy way of catching white butterflies is suggested by "A.L." in the Wellington Post, who states that he was shown in a suburban garden recently how the insects, on a dull day or when the sun was failing settled on and under the leaves of plants. If the plants were examined closely the butterflies could be seen and picked off without difficulty. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., has been advised by the Agricultural Department that it is unable to supply further supplies of the wasps to this district to combat the spread of the white moth.