WAR ON BLOWFLIES

Hokitika Guardian, 25 June 1920, Page 1

WAR ON BLOWFLIES

ARMY 01-' INSECT ENEMIES FOR

AUSTRALIA

GRUBS BY POST

LONDON, April 27

The common bluebottle (blowfly) is a terrible scourge in Australia. In 1917 alone its grubs killed £3,000,000' of sheep, but ft is now hoped that a remedy has been found, in the shape of an insect army from the Mother-country. Professor Maxwell Lefroy, of the Imperial College of Science, South Kensington, was in Australia during the war doing invaluable work in connection with a wheat pest. “ Can you do anything for our bluebottle plague?” asked the Austral ian Government.

The professor, after long research, has now answered, in ellect: “ Ibe bluebot_ tie (like the rabbit) was brought to Australia from England; and flourished because it found no natural enemies in the new country. \Ye have now ascertained the habits of the British insect enemies which keep it in check heie. Wc have bred them in South Kensington and have them in cold storage. Shall we send them out to you? ” • FOUR ANTI-BLUEBOTTLES.

Professor Lefroy explained yesterday that he had bred four insect enemies ol the blowfly, and could export them at short notice. These were: I.—The Alysia mandeator. This fly attacks the bluebottle grub and injects a numbing anesthetic, laying an egg in its body. The egg hatches, feeds on, and kills the host. It then emerges to attack more grubs. _ 2..-The Nnsonia brevicornis, a fly which is already in Australia, but. which makes war in a similar fashion. But No. 1, being stronger on the wing, and more thorough in its methods, is 40 times as effective. 3 —The Scatopliaga stercorana (yellow dung-fly). This athletic insect, long-legged and powerful, bites- the adult blowfly in the back of the neck and extracts its juices. It lives entire y out of doors and does not bit© man or infect his food. 41 —The Hydrotrea dentipes, the oTub" of which eats the blowfly grub in the sheep’s wool. It is claimed that it will not attack healthy animals. Professor Lefroy read a paper (prepared bv Mr Altson) to the last meetip,, of the Zoological Society, describing the life-liistory of Nos. 1 and 2. e has special faith in the A.ysia (No 1), which is also being bred at the Zoolog - ~jil Gardens. MODE OF EXPORT. The method of export is most mterostinir The Alysia, for example, would be sent out in the “ grub” stage, pack-cd-in earth, and placed! in a ship a coW rooul - In Australia the complete fl.es Zld hatch out and would be given bluebottle grubs m which to 1 y s These egg-infested grubs wou dropped in the runs to hatch out a race of bluebottle exterminators This method wouid he employ cases of New Zealand, South Atric , and the Argentine, which also ave n bluebottle problem to solve.