Insect Pests.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 26 September 1891, Page 2

Insect Pests.

_ • » At a general meeting of the- Wellington Philosophical Society Sir James Hector said that before . proceeding to the business of the evening he wished to introduce to the Society Mr Albert Koebele, an. American entomologist, who was making a second trip to the colony for the purpose of studying the enemies of insect pests. Members would recollect that in 1888 Mr Koebele, when on a visit to South Australia in search of a small fly (TestophdA), a parasite on that dreadful pest Icerya Purchasi, discovered a single ladybird (Vedalia) preying on the pest. He found a second specimen in New South Wales, and then on his arrival in New Zealand he found that the Icerya about Buckland was being also destroyed by something, and this too turned out to be Vedalia. As an energetic and expert entomologist he at once saw that here was the thing he sought. Passing on' to Napier, where Icerya had been exceedingly destructive, he was fortunate enough to be able to collect several thousands of Vedalias, and ha was able to take them away with him and liberate them, still alive, in California. Now, California had been up to that time so eaten up by Icerya that the damage was estimated at several millions of dollars annually. Yet, in twelve or fifteen months after the liberation of Vedalia, the State of California was practically free from the dreaded pest. This work of Mr Koebele was in fact one of the grandest things in the interest of fruit and tree-growers that have been effected in* /modern times, and he thought no apology would be needed from him for introducing personally to the (Society the gentleman who had been so energetic and successful in carrying out this splendid work. He might observe that perhaps the whole thing showed how careful the people of New Zealand ought to have been (and unfortunately they had only been too' careless) about the introduction of plants from other countries without dns investigation of, the insect life on them. But at least, Mr Koebele's visits had had this good effect: 1 They had drawn attention in the most practical way to the need oi cultivating the natural enemies of pests ; and also, as he taught California how to clear away Icerya, he taught New Zealand too the \\ray to extirpate it. | Mr Maskell desired to cordially endorse all that the Chairman had said, and ventured to add a word or two as to Mr Koebele's present work. That gentleman had recognised the benefit which New Zealand had done to California in giving it Vedalia, and now Mr Eoebele was trying to repay the benefit by introducing to this country and liberating in Auckland insect parasites from America which would, he hoped, prey largely upon the other • blights ' existing here. If America effred something to New Zealand, it was^now the turn of New Zealand to thank an A men can for trying his best to give us' a | practical benefit in return.