Thus far nine species of Anopheles have been found in Palestine. These, in order of frequency and importance, are : A. elutus, Edw., A. superpictus, Grassi, A. sergenti, Theo., A. multicolor, Camb., A. claviger, Mg. (bifurcatus, auct.), A. algeriensis, Theo., A. hyrcanus, Pall., A. pharoensis, Theo., and A. coustani, Lav. (mauritianus, Grp.).

The morphological characters of the eggs of these species have been described and are well known. Workers have, however, overlooked the fact that their eggs arrange themselves on water in specific patterns, determined apparently by their structure. Observations made during 1939–41 have shown that, if a number of eggs is placed on a drop of water, they assume a pattern characteristic of the species. This pattern arrangement makes possible a macroscopic differentiation of species in the field.

Observations have been made on ovipositions of all the species, but more particularly of A. elutus (188 ovipositions), A. sergenti (365 ovipositions), A. superpictus (149 ovipositions) and A. multicolor (51 ovipositions). These results indicate that these species arrange themselves into two types of patterns :—

i. Eggs arranged in parallel patterns. To this group belong those species that breed in open unshaded water : A. elutus, A. superpictus, A. multicolor.

ii. Eggs arranged in angular patterns, the eggs lying at an angle to one another, in the form of stars, etc. This group comprises the six remaining species, all of which prefer shaded places for their development.

Dr. R. H. Le Pelley has reared in Nairobi a number of specimens of a new Tachinid from the diamond-back moth (Plutella maculipennis, Curt.).

Cadurcia plutellae, sp. n : ♂♀.

♂. Head black, the pollinosity of the face, lower half of the parafrontalia and lower half of the posterior orbits inconspicuous, but appearing almost silver-white in certain directions. Eyes bare. Frons one-fifth to one-sixth head-width (slightly less than one-half eye-width) above middle, very slightly dilated to vertex, moderately dilated to lunula ; face moderately dilated with the sides almost straight to the lower margins of the eyes, which are separated by half the head-width ; parafrontalia and interfrontalia somewhat narrowed to about middle, parallel-sided from there to base, the interfrontalia velvety blackish-brown, somewhat wider than the parafrontalia, the latter with about six inclinate and two reclinate setae, the parafacialia with 3–4 descending inclinate frontals, which reach the level of the apex of the second antennal joint. Antennae fuscous-black, third joint more than twice as long aswide, almost reaching level of lower eye-margins, falling short of mouth-margin by half its width, arista minutely pubescent, the hairs shorter than its basal diameter, the basal fourth moderately incrassate. Parafacialia one-half, jowls fully as wide as the third antennal joint, vibrissae level with mouth-margin. Palpi fuscous, hardly projecting beyond mouth-margin.

Outbreaks of yellow fever in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and Uganda in 1940 emphasised the necessity for the mosquito control measures which are in force to prevent the disease from reaching Egypt or the East African ports. Edwards (1941, Mosquitoes of the Ethiopian Region, III, p. 3), referring to yellow fever, states that “ it would seem that most of the common biting mosquitoes of West Africa are to be regarded as potentially dangerous.” This statement applies also to north-east Africa. For the further planning of control measures, more information is required as to which mosquitos can act as vectors. Transmission experiments can usually be carried out only in a few specially equipped laboratories, so that mosquitos must sometimes be transported over great distances. A convenient method of doing this is to carry several thousands of living larvae which can provide a supply of adults for experiments. The writer has, for several years, used the simple method described below and found it effective in the hot dry climate of the northern Sudan. Recently it proved useful for sending larvae of species of Aëdes to the Yellow Fever Reseaich Institute at Entebbe.

Larvae are stranded on a wet surface in a cool damp atmosphere and can be carried under these conditions for many hours or even several days. Perforated trays are made from the metal of petrol tins as shown in Fig. 1. A piece of cloth 44 cm. square is laid over each tray and tied underneath it. Water containing the larvae is poured into the tray and drains away, leaving the larvae stranded. A metal cross-piece laid on the tray serves to support another tray above it. Eight trays can be placed in a four gallon petrol tin which is then closed with a lid. In hot weather a wet towel may be wrapped round the tin.

The genus Podagrica occurs in very large numbers in Africa, both as regards species and specimens, and from the records we already have, at least twelve are recorded as doing damage to cotton, Hibiscus and other plants. A list of these is given and also a list of described African species, there being at present no up-to-date catalogue of the Halticinae.

Weise, in Naturgeschichte der Insecten Deutschlands, 26, 1886, p. 681, sinks the genus Nisotra, Baly, 1864, to Podagrica, Foudras, 1860, quite rightly. There are already 39 described African species, to which I now add eight new ones. There can be no doubt that the whole genus will prove to be destructive to various crops. It ranges from Europe to Australia, but does not occur in North or South America. The species are very difficult to define, almost as much so as the genus Haltica ; the species having the prothorax fulvous and the elytra blue form the largest group ; another group is entirely flavous or fulvous, and a third small group has spots or slight markings.

Nine samples of waste oils have been examined and after blending with kerosene and Diesel oil their suitability as larvicides was determined. It is concluded that blends containing 25–30 per cent. of waste oil are not so effective as an approved commercial larvicide at the same dosage but that with a higher dosage, which is still within the range commonly applied in the field, i.e. between 4 fl. oz. and 6·7 fl. oz. per 100 sq. ft. (Ramsay & Carpenter, 1932) they give good results. The higher dosage is only necessary when Culicine larvae have to be controlled. Other blends containing 10–20 per cent. of waste oil are just as effective as an approved commercial sample.

[A voluminous general report on the organisation and the results of the locust investigations carried out in India in 1931–1938, under the auspices of the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, was officially submitted to the Council by Rao Bahadur Y. Ramchandra Rao in 1941, but its publication has been postponed until after the war.

A copy of the report has been sent, by permission of the Council, to the Anti-Locust Research Centre at the Imperial Institute of Entomology, for information, and it proved to contain a wealth of data and of ideas, only some of which have been published in various preliminary papers by its author and by his colleagues. In view of the great scientific and practical value of the report, it appeared necessary to make at least its main findings available to other entomologists working on the subject, and permission has been obtained from the author and from the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research for the publication of some sections of the report. Only a few sections, selected and edited by Dr. B. P. Uvarov, are being published below, and it should be stressed that their publication in the abridged form does not in any way detract from the value of the complete report, which, it is hoped, will be published at the earliest opportunity for the benefit of all workers on the locust problem.]

(1) Adult female Sarcoptes were killed by 49°C. (120°F.) in 10 minutes and by 47·5°C. (117·5°F.) in 30 minutes.

(2) At 28°C. (82°F.) no Sarcoptes survived for two days and the majority died in 24 hours.

(3) At 13°C. (55°F.) and 90 per cent. R.H. the majority of the mites died within a week, but a few survived longer, even up to 14 days.

(4) At temperatures below 13°C. (55°F.) the mites survived for a shorter time.

(5) Sarcoptes gives no reactions, positive or negative to unidirectional light.

(6) Below 15°C. (59°F.) Sarcoptes is in chill coma. Little movement occurs below 20°C. (68°F.).

(7) In temperature gradient mites seldom, if ever, go below 24°C. (75°F.). They will walk into high temperatures which prove rapidly lethal.

(1) Coal-tar phenols are useful intermediate solvents for making solutions of rotenone in both mineral and vegetable oils.

(2) Medium petroleum oil showed superiority to ground-nut oil as a carrier of rotenone in xylenol tested against Ornithodorus moubata.

(3) The solutions of rotenone in xylenol and oil showed no deterioration after storage in the dark at room temperature for six weeks.

(4) In these solutions rotenone proved far less toxic to Ornithodorus moubata than an equal weight of pyrethrin I in medium petroleum oil.