PIRI PIRI PARASITE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18975, 27 March 1936, Page 3

PIRI PIRI PARASITE

| EXPEDITION TO CHILE RBPOKT TO SI'ONSOKS An aeeouul of his Chilean expedition to secure supplies of piri pin parasite for liberation in the Wanganui district was given to the committee of farmers who iinanced the scheme by Dr. David Miller, of the Gawthron Institute, who said Ihe expedition was an outstanding success. The parasites would be liberalctl in the Wanganui district first, either in April. May or .lime, when the adult insects emerged. Outlining b,s work, which extended over mid-southern Chile. Dr. Miller said il, c search for the insects was not at first successful, but later an abundance ol Ihetn was obtained. He had brought » consignment ol 30,000 with him to Now Zealand and had made arrangements tor further supplies to be sent out. He could not say bow many colonics he would establish in the Wanganui distriel. lie suggested thai all who had ap , ( |i,.,| io bim for supplies should join f 0.,,) ~,) i mi- in making a fund lo keep alive the organisation l.ie bad lel'l working in Chile, whirl, would eosl only about CIW I, v ,.,■,,-. The insects should Nourish in New /.•aland. According to Ihe lalesl advice he had received Imm llie institute, Ihe plant attacked would be unable to throw out fresh buds and shoots. Speaking of the characteristics of the parasite he said the females did not require fertilisation. The eggs were laid in folds and pockets of leaves, which in the season would

hardly be recognisable because of the ipianfity of them. The insects bred fairly rapidly, our female laying abotll GO eggs, which in this country would he comparatively free from oilier parasites. There would' not be a surplus (his year. lu- said, for distribution outside Wnhgauui. Dr. Miller mentioned thai he bad also returned wilh a grass grub parasite and another easily procured in abundance which attacked a poisonous spider

of Chile utmost identical with the New Zealand katlpo spider. Among other specimens he obtained a parasite beetle, which might aei as a check to such caterpillars as cutworms, which were a menace lo tobacco ami ol her plants. Replying to a vote of thanks for bis efforts.' \)w Miller said the farmers of Wanganui had set a great example to the others in New Zealand.