CODLIN MOTH PARASITES

Te Aroha News, Volume XXII, Issue 42749, 18 July 1905, Page 3

CODLIN MOTH PARASITES

A VICTORIAN DISCOVERT. At the monthly meeting of the Central Fruitgrowers’ Association (Vic.) says the “ Age,” some codlin moth parasites were exhibited. They were discovered by Mr J. B. Brewer, the secretary of the Association, at Newstead, near Castlemnine, and excited great interest amongst the practical fruitgrowers who were present. Mr Brewer, who is engaged in the apple export trade is at present pack* \ ing apples for shipment in the New- j stead district. In a letter relating to I the codlin moth parasites, addressed j to the President of the Association, Mr Brewer says : “ Since coming to Newstead I have j noticed that there is less moth infected fruit than I have noticed for seveial years past. In fact there is only a small percentage as compared with the past. A popular theory here is th t the very hot weather killed the young grubs. I have found many apples with the skin just perforated from the dead giub inside. I marie inquiries from a careful orchardist here, Mr A. Booth, who is aware of the existence of two parasites, which are destroying the grub and chrysalis, and I have forwarded to you specimens of each, which I hav* taken from the bandages, I have also seen many dead grubs, wl ich have apparently been s ung to ce ith by the fly. “I was speaking receutly to an orchardist 10 miles away, and he had noticed the dead grubs in bandages, but had not noted the cause. He made a search, and soon found a brown bug eating out a chrysalis. In all parts of the district I find the presence of dead grubs in the bandages is common. “ The small black fly deposits its eggs in the body of the grub, where they develop. The grub appears to become lifeiess as soon as infected, and ; gradually dies. I have enclosed a I grub with three parasites, also one | dead fly and one alive, which is very lively in its movements, and should only be liberated under glass. “ The brown hairy bug mostly attacks the moth in the chrysalis state. It eats it completely out, but is also known to similarly attack the grub. The brown caterpillar works similarly to the bug. “The black Hies are most in evidence in D cember and January, but are now vei y scarce.” When the box containing the pa-a-sites was opened, the fly v*as very lively, and nearly escaped. The brown grub and the catapillar were busily at work on the codlin moth grubs, It is intended to submit the paiasites to Mr French, the Goverum- nt Entomologist, for his opinion. At the iast meeting of the Central Fruitgrowers’ Associau >n, it was agreed to ask the Department of Agri* _ culture to obtain full information about the codlin moth parasites, which Mr < George Compere, the West Austral- ] ian Entomologist, recently discovered in Spain and sent, to California. The Sta e Board of Horticulture there

agreed to bear half the cost of Mr Comperes expense’s when he was sent ou~ by the West Australian Government to search for the parasites of the fruit lly, on condition that he should obtain, on bphalf of the Calif uni n growers son 9 of the c< d lin mo li parasites which lie hadfound on a previous j uroey. The Califnrrrrn growers have faith in fighting insects with para-ut'c enemie°, which have aptly described as *• aN.i imps weipons.” It is nor. at, all impiobable that this disc >very attention being paid (o the insects which prey upon the codlin moth. Several of them aro known to science, but none of thos-. previously discovered aie of much service in heeping the codlin moth in check.