Lac is the resinous encrustation secreted by the scale-insect, Laccifer (Tachardia) lacca, Kerr (Coccidae). Research with a view to the improvement in quality and quantity of this secretion consists therefore in a study of the Coccid itself and the hosts on which it lives, and the relationship between the insect and its hosts. It also entails an investigation of the insect friends and enemies of the Coccid and of its hosts.

Colour:—Head bright yellow shading to orange at apex of clypeus and on labium; eyes grey-black; a broad shining brownish-black percurrent stripe down middle of vertex, extending slightly round anterior margin of head to frons, and much broader anteriorly than posteriorly. Pronotum shining black with a trace of whitish pruinosity giving a bluish sheen; a narrow transverse yellow band along anterior margin behind each eye, extending outwardly to and along lateral margins, a pair of narrow arcuate whitish spots on anterior disc between eyes and almost meeting in middle line, an impressed whitish spot on each side beyond outer end of arcuate spot and fusing externally with the yellow lateral border, and a large obscure yellowish rounded spot in each of the basal lateral angles. Propleura yellow. Scutellum shining black, covered with whitish pruinosity over impressed region of disc, giving a bluish sheen. Meso- and meta-pleura yellow shading to dark brown towards acetabula, the meso- and meta-sterna dark brown. Tegmina semi-hyaline, sometimes powdered with white pruinosity, which gives them a bluish sheen; the suprabrachial area and the first, third and fourth apical areas slightly infumate, the remainder infuscate; the costal plaque dark brown, veins brown. Wings hyaline, somewhat infumate, the veins (except cross-vein between second and third longitudinal veins) brown. Legs pale yellow, the anterior tibiae and tarsi and the intermediate tarsi infuscate. Abdomen entirely black, with very fine white pruinosity giving a bluish sheen.

The importance that has attached to the genus Phlebotomus in connection with its rôle as a possible vector of infections with various members of the family Trypanosomidae has led in recent years to an intensive study of this genus. This study has been pursued chiefly in two directions, viz., the differentiation of species and the possible rôle played by some of these in the transmission of trypanosome infections.

Argas brumpti was first described by Neumann, in 1907 from specimens taken by Brumpt in Somaliland (Ogaden), and has since been found to occur also in British East Africa (Kitui) and the Sudan (Erkowit, Gebelein and Nuba Mountains). In the nymphal and adult stages it has a wide range of hosts, including man, but in the larval stage is far less catholic in its tastes. Cunliffe, in 1913, failed to induce the larvae to feed on a domestic fowl; King, in 1915, having similarly failed to rear them on domestic fowls, sparrows, pigeons, doves and bats, found that they would attach themselves readily to the loose skin on the head and neck of the guinea-fowl, Numida meleagris, and engorge. Larvae so fed were reared to maturity. It was believed that the guinea-fowl was possibly the usual host of A. brumpti in the larval stage, but the examination of numbers of guinea-fowl shot in districts in which this tick occurs yielded no confirmatory evidence.

Malaya: Teluk Anson, 1 ♀, iii.1923 (G. H. Corbett), 3 ♀♀, 1 ♂, 18.iv.1930; Serdang, 1 ♀, 1 ♂, 17.i.1925 (G. H. Corbett); Kuala Lumpur, 1 ♀, 10.vii.1928 (G. H. Corbett & B. A. R. Gater).

Host. The three more recent series were bred from larvae of the Limacodid moth, Setora nitens, Walk.

In his catalogue of the Anophelini (1924) Christophers admitted only one genus the tribe, which he divided into five subgenera: Anopheles (s. str.), Nyssorhynchus, Myzomyia, Bironella and Chagasia. The position of the first three as subgenera Anopheles is now universally accepted, but the arguments in favour of recognising the other two as distinct genera are worth consideration.

♂. Palpus light buff. Antennal shaft honey-yellow with sparse light buff scales. Head and thorax light buff tinged with warm buff. Tergum cartridge-buff, proximal two segments warm buff; pectus cartridge-buff. Legs light buff. Venter light buff. Fore wing light buff tinged with warm buff; veins slightly infuscate; a fuscous black discocellular dot; two series of fuscous dots on the veins beyond the cell, the first deeply bowed (concavity basad) from vein 7 to vein 2, sometimes forming a fuscous line continuing beyond vein 2 and bending to run obliquely into inner margin just before middle; the second series less deeply bowed, from vein 8 to vein 2; a terminal series of interneural black dots. Hind wing whitish, slightly tinged with cartridge-buff, tinged with light buff along costa; faint traces of fuscous interneural terminal dots. Underside of fore-wing light buff tinged along costa and sometimes beyond cell with warm buff; of hind wing whitish tinged with cartridge-buff, costa suffused with light buff. Expanse 30 mm.

In a field of ground-provisions growing near the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture at St. Augustine, Trinidad, it was noticed, in November 1928, that the leaves of cassava (Manihot utilissima, L.), which formed a large part of the crop, were attacked by a gall-forming insect. Urich (1915, p. 39) has recorded a gall-midge (Lasioptera sp.) as occurring in Trinidad, with one or two Hymenopterous parasites, and Bequaert (1926, p. 205) states that Felt (1921) reports having received Cecidomyia manihot, Felt, from Trinidad (collected by F. W. Urich).

Palestine: 10, ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ from Jaffa, Jericho, Jerusalem and Haifa, 1924 (G. F. Hucklesby), 1929 (J. Tapukhi). China: Shantung, 4 ♂♂ from Tsinan and Taishan, 1926 (E. Hindle).

This is the second of a series of papers dealing with zoophagous gall midges of the world. The first, “Gall Midges as Enemies of Aphids,” appeared recently (Bull. Ent. Res., xx, 1929, pp. 433–442), while the third dealing with gall midges as enemies of mites is in course of preparation.

It has been my privilege through the courtesy of the Imperial Institute of Entomology to examine specimens of a midge which was found predacious on Liothrips urichi, Karny, in Trinidad by Mr. H. W. Simmonds, and originally discovered by Mr. F. W. Urich.

It is only in recent years that the presence and extent of sleeping sickness amongst the pagan tribes on the Bauchi Plateau have been recognised. This is partly owing to the fact that endemic sleeping sickness of a very mild type with a low mortality has prevailed hitherto. The epidemic disease with a high mortality seems to be of recent origin and is probably due to the improved communications and unrestrained movement between different tribes and races throughout the Province, resulting in the introduction of new and virulent strains of Trypanosoma gambiense. The large labour camps at the tin mines are doubtless responsible for a good deal of this movement of population. Tsetse on the Plateau is usually scanty, as suitably heavy shade and an adequate food supply are comparatively rare. Wherever conditions permit, however, Glossina palpalis is present. The following report is based on a visit made by the author during November and December, 1929, to Ganawuri, where the most severe epidemic of sleeping sickness yet recorded on the Plateau was in progress. The objects of the visit were primarily an investigation into the bionomics of G. palpalis in this locality, and the determination of the part played by it in the transmission of the disease.

1. Carabunia myersi is an extraordinarily efficient internal parasite of the nymphs of Clastoptera undulata and Clastoptera sp. in Cuba, and of a third species in the mountains of Haiti.

2. The rate of parasitism is from 65 to nearly 100 per cent.

3. The egg is laid in nymphs of about the second instar, the female wasp negotiating the covering spittle-mass with great ease.

4. There are three larval stadia, and pupation takes place within the indurated larval skin of the last larval instar, inside the abdomen of the still active host.

5. The spiracles of this Hymenopterous puparium achieve connections with certain of the abdominal tracheae of the host and by this means supply air to the pupa.

6. Dissection and experiment showed that Carabunia is not actually, nor is it likely to become, a parasite of froghoppers of the genus Tomaspis (Monecphora) to which the Trinidad cane pest belongs.

I desire especially to thank my wife for assistance in every part of the investigation.

From many parts of the world, but especially from South Asia and Africa, the Imperial Institute of Entomology receives an increasing number of Chalcidoidea, many being important as parasites of noxious insects, but mostly still very little known or even undescribed. The study of all these varied and often difficult species will be the work of many students on parasitic Hymenoptera. For our part we intend to publish a series of notes under the above title, alternatively with notes on African Chalcidoidea, as contributions to a knowledge of the most important or interesting species, the large majority of which have been bred.

Blue-black, the basal joints of the antennae, coxae and base of the tibiae tinged with fulvous, the head greenish black, the prothorax and the elytra more metallic blue, finely punctured. Length, 4 mm.

(1) Frankliniella insularis (Franklin) is found on various food-plants, including tomatos, in the Adelaide area.

(2) The life-history and bionomics of the species have been investigated, particularly on tomato plants under glasshouse conditions. The various stages of the insect have been described.

(3) The eggs are laid in the tissues of the tomato leaf, and the larvae feed on the leaves or in the flowers; when mature they leave the plants and pupate in the débris on the surface of the soil or penetrate into the upper layers of the soil. Sometimes they pupate on the plant in rolled leaves, depressions in the stem or other similar situations; this habit has been also observed on tomato plants growing in the open during the summer. In carnation flowers eggs were laid in the tissues of the sepals and petals.

(4) The duration of the egg stage for 64 examples varied from 9–14 days when the mean daily temperature was 64·5° F. In a number of other observations it was found to vary from 3 days, when the mean temperature was 100° F., to 15 days, when the mean temperature was 63·1°F. The rate of oviposition is markedly affected by temperature: with a mean temperature of 77·5° F., one female laid an average of 3·9 eggs daily; two other females laid an average of 1·2 and 1·7 eggs daily when the mean temperature was 68·2°F.; and another female laid an average of 1·3 eggs when the mean temperature was 67·7° F. Below 60° F. the rate of oviposition is greatly retarded, but egg-laying may extend over a long period: one female continued oviposition over a period of 157 days. The largest number of eggs laid by a single female was 92 over a period of 70 days.

(5) The duration of the larval stages for 32 individuals varied from 9 to 13 days when the mean temperature of the periods varied from 66·6° F. to 65·7° F. In a number of observations on other individuals at various times the period varied from 7 to 14 days when the mean temperature varied from 74·9° F. to 63·4° F.

(6) The duration of the pupal stages obtained from 19 individuals varied from 7 to 14 days when the mean temperature of the periods varied from 72·8° F. to 66·7° F.

(7) The complete life-cycle under glasshouse conditions occupied 36–39 days when the mean temperature of the period was about 66° F. Observations made on a number of individuals at various periods gave a variation in the period of the complete life-cycle from 13 to 41 days with mean temperatures varying from 89·5° F. to 64·1° F.

(8) The chief distribution of Frankliniella insularis appears to be the region of Central America. It is common in the Adelaide area during the warmer period of the year (approximately November to April), and rare or absent during the remaining months. Its seasonal occurrence appears to be due to temperature, since it was readily reared at all periods of the year on tomato plants in the glasshouse.

(9) The economic importance of the species is due to the fact that G. Samuel and J. G. Bald have shown experimentally that it can transmit the virus of spotted wilt disease of tomatos.

A preliminary study of the parasites of the Pine-shoot Moth, Rhyacionia buoliana, in England was undertaken at the request of the Dominion Entomologist of Canada.

In all twenty-eight species of primary and secondary parasites were obtained. Thirteen of these species were represented in our material by not more than two specimens and are probably of little economic importance. Of the remaining fifteen, two (Habrocytus and Eutelus) are definitely hyperparasites, and at least two of the Pimplines (P. ruficollis and P. brevicornis) are liable to live as hyperparasites under certain conditions.

The dominant or “key” parasites in this complex appear to be the Braconid, Orgilus obscurator, and two Ophionines, Cremastus interruptor and Omorgus mutabilis. These were shipped to Canada and the first two have become established there.

A brief account is given of the salient facts in the biology of each species and the more important diagnostic characters of the adults are described to facilitate accurate identification, often a very difficult matter.

The mature larvae of the commoner species are described in detail, with the particular object of finding satisfactory specific characters.

Of the common species the majority attack the larva. Pimpla examinator is the only true pupal parasite which is at all common, but Omorgus mutabilis and Orgilus obscurator, although they are essentially larval parasites, frequently remain in their host and complete their development after it has pupated. Four other species, though normally living as larval parasites, may occasionally emerge from the pupa. One egg-parasite, Trichogramma evanescens, was recorded.

None of the common species is confined to R. buoliana, and there is no reason to suppose that the other species, about which less is known, are any more specific. Five of the species reared are new to Great Britain and eighteen constitute new records for this host.

In the Sudan, as in other parts of Africa, where tsetse-flies (Glossina) are known to occur, the distribution of the species is always a matter of considerable interest, owing to the fact that some are known to be disseminators of disease and others are suspected as being possible carriers. Of the twenty species so far recorded from the continent of Africa, nine have been experimentally proved to be capable of transmitting trypanosomes pathenogenic to man or his domestic animals. As yet only five species have been found in the Sudan, namely, G. palpalis fuscipes, G. morsitans, G. longipennis, G. fusca and G. fuscipleuris, and of these the first four are known to be carriers of trypanosomiasis.