CODLIN MOTH ENEMIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 15 May 1890, Page 9

CODLIN MOTH ENEMIES.

Those who ars troubled with the abominable pest, or who have apple trees in New Zealand, where no district can hope to be, very long free from its presence, will be glad to hear that an attempt (so far successful) to import some of its natural enemies has been made by the writer.

There are in all some seven known insects which prey upon the codlin moth, but as the3e are scattered in different places — two being in England, and fivo in the different States of America — they make but little impression on the great numbers of the moth larvte, which when left unchecked soon render a whole orchard worthless. The idea occurred to the writer that if the whole of the seven species could be collected together in one body and introduced into the orchards of New Zep' the codlin moth would be kept und<- -««nd, the necessity of constant fights -«■ without means and constant recur- ■*& »y artificial troubla, with too often t -- m % expenses and The first atf~- - ««»y partial success, provoking -ouapt was frustrated in a very dp/. o manner. It was intended to intro-

..a Icheumonide parasites, but as these required to be imported in the bodies of cod! in moth larvas, which could only be brought with infected apples, and as there is a law forbidding the landing of such, it was necessary to obtain from the Government an order to land them, which was certainly granted, but not till after a delay of four months, and so the first attempt failed. The second attempt was made to import another kind of insect, which, instead of laying its eggs in the body of the moth's grub, devours the grub itself, and this has succeeded so far. The insect is one known to science as Eaphidia ophiophsis, which belongs to the order of Neuroptera (the name as the dragon fly, the white ant, &c). Twenty-one small boxes, each containing a single insect, and these enclosed in a larger wooden one, were transmitted from the United States Government to the writer (as a present), and Professor Sir Charles V. Riley, the State Entomologist, in order to prevent the packet from being interfered with by the Custom bouse officers, sent it by post. These

gentlemen, however, for some unexplained reason or other, managed to get hold of the box and "opened and examined" it. No doubt they expected to find machinery to set up a big woollen factory, and were anxious to prevent sc great a calamity, or some such thing, and tht box was detained 10 days for this very necessary operation. As, however, most of the insects were fortunately in the pupas (or chrysalis) state, the only loss incurred was three of them. Had the consignment been of true parasite flies, it would have wrecked it. Three of the boxes were empty (certainly Professor Riley did not send them so) ; 17 contained pupse, or chrysalis ; the other had a live larva in it, which was on its arrival very lively and active, and has since eaten several codlin moth larva.

The difficulty will now be to keep those valu • able insects alive till next summer. That difficulty care and experience in suoh matters will overcome, but what is much more to be feared is that there will very probably be enacted next session of Parliament some foolish and ineffectual Godlin Moth Act, and the difficulty will be to prevent the inspectors under that act from destroying friend and foe in our orchards, as they are not likely to be properly qualified experts.

The United States Government, besides beiug extremely liberal and obliging in such matters, are very grateful for having obtained a most valuable insect help from New Zealand which has saved the orange growers of California many millions of money, and there ia no doubt that they will send ub what we desire in the way of help, but it is evident that unless the Customhouse difficulty can be overcome, and some subsequent protection afforded, the writer cannot go on with fruitless efforts to do good to his orchardist friends, and as yet no such understanding seems likely to be arrived at.

The Raphidia in the larva state resembles in its active movements a little serpent. It is about five-eighths of sh inch long, very flat, sa as to be able to pursue its prey into the crevices of the bark, and it can run rapidly either backwards or forwardsi The perfect insect also pursues and captures its prey, and there can be no doubt it will prove a very valuable addition tuour useful insects of New Zealand.

R. Aixan Wight, Entomologist to the Bay of Islands Agricultural and Horticultural Society ; the Fruitgrowers' Association, Nelson, &c, &c.