Parasites

Fighting Pests with Parasites Entomologist's Interesting Work in Fiji and Samoa

ON a joint mission on behalf of the Governments of Fiji and Samoa, Mr.

H. W. Simmonds (formerly Govern merit Entomologist in the Colony of Fiii) passed through Sydney in October on his way to Samoa, after instituting certain researches that will have important scientific results for both territories. hetapT l^ 16 ? by Mrs ' Simmonds,' who h T lm ln securing collections, he J a va, Malaya, Mauritius and Madagascar. His object, primarily, was to obtain a parasite that would attack the fhsTSf™, 8 , b f et , le Samoa, and another that would deal with the house-fly prob lem in Fiji. J Simmonds secured a predatory beetle which lives in the land of places where the Fijian house-fly breeds and feeds, and which is said to con sume numerous house fly maggots m twenty-four hours. Already some of them have been sent to Fiji? and Led successiully there to combat the fly nui sance. Others have been sent to the Solomon Islands to deal with the buffalo fly. Results are not yet known in Samoa, but, as elsewhere, it is hoped the beetle will be a success.

In regard to the rhinoceros beetle in Samoa, Mr. Simmonds has already sent there a colony of a certain parasite wasp obtained in Madagascar, and he took a second colony back with him, which was secured in Madagascar and Mauritius, ihe result of this experiment will be awaited with interest throughout the Pacific. ■ Simmonds has been in the service of the Fijian Government since 1920 Prior to that he lived in New Zealand, South Africa, and elsewhere. His investi gations have led him to all parts of the Pacific. He retired from the post of Gov ernment Entomologist some years ago and he describes this last trip as “a post retirement mission”.