Campaign Planned Against Green Bug

Northern Advocate, 16 August 1949, Page 7

Campaign Planned Against Green Bug

KAIKOHE, Tue. (Sp.).—Cooperation of eyery home gardener and every school child in Northland is sought in a campaign to be waged this season against the district’s newest pest, the nezara viridula, or green vegetable bug. The Auckland Education Board’s agricultural instructor at Paihia, Mr L. W. Delph, whose territory officially extends from Maungaturoto to the North Cape, is appealing now for urgent dispatch of ail eggs of the green beetle to him at Paihia, Bay of Islands.

“As a result o£ the mild weather conditions this winter, green beetles have been seen in gardens almost continuously, and it appears that the pest will again be most active this coming season.” Mr Dclph states. “The fact, that in some gardens, green beetles are already mating and that the insects in the younger growth stages are appearing is proof that the eggs are being laid —at least, in small numbers.” DESTRUCTIVE PEST A new importation to the Dominion, nezara viridula is known to have a most destructive effect on beans and peas and, indeed, on an almost unlimited range of vegetable plants, weeds, grasses or even native trees. The eggs may be readily identified as a flat, close mass of regular shape, containing up to 50 eggs, resembling a miniature honeycomb. Should the eggs be reddish, they will be too far gone for parasiting and should not be despatched to Mr Delph. If, however, they are grey (in districts parasited last'season), they may prove to have been already attacked by the parasite and would be most valuable for compilation of information on survival of the parasite. As a result of work by Dr K. Cumber of Cawthron Institute, last season, a few parasites from Australia were bred up to large numbers and released at strategic points. It is still problematical whether these parasites have survived the New Zealand winter. WANT CHILDREN’S HELP Mr Delph has kept a small number of the parasites alive under laboratory conditions at Paihia. From these he hopes to build up again parasites in sufficient numbers for distribution through the schools of Northland. Indeed, it is from schoolchildren that

Mr Delph hopes to obtain the most fruitful results. With cooperation of the headmasters and teachers, he hopes to have hundreds of youngsters combing the back gardens and paddocks for the characteristic honeycomb of eggs. When parasited, the eggs can be sent back to the respective schools for study purposes. Dispatching of eggs will,be effective if a small piece of leaf with the eggs is gummed on a card, put in a matchbox and posted to Mr, Delph, P.O. Box 50, Paihia.