A MONUMENT TO AN INSECT

Manawatu Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 4600, 23 January 1936, Page 4

A MONUMENT TO AN INSECT

THE VALIANT WORK OF THE C ACTOBLA S TIS.

Probably the first time in the world that an insect has had a memorial erected in its honour is at the town of Chinchilla (Qld.), Avhere a new hall, called the Cacto Blastis Memorial Hall, has been built in honour of the famous prickly - pear - eating caterpillar (Caetoblastis cactorum). This insect has been responsible for eradicating the prickly-pear pest from thousands of acres of valuable land in the Chinchilla district, as well as in other parts of Australia. In fact, it is claimed that but for this caterpillar the prickly-pear pest would have in time covered the Avhole of Australia.

The caterpillar Avas discovered in the Argentine (South America) about ten years ago, and a number of the insects Avere brought to Australia. When these Avere acclimatised a breeding station Avas established in Queensland, and from there countless billions of the caterpillars have been distributed in the pear-infested country. ‘The success in this country Avith the insect has led other countries, including Africa, India, and the United States, to adopt a similar method of destroying their pricklypear pe^t. This interesting paragraph comes from “The NeAV Idea,”' the threepenny weekly paper for Australian and Ncav Zealand women. Reading matter of all kinds, paragraphs, short stories and articles are a feature of this paper. In addition, a free paper pattern is enclosed in each copy.