Australian Black Wasps

Sent After Coconut Pest in Samoa

IN an attempt to control the rhinoceros beetle pest in Western Samoa, Mr.

W. H. Simmonds, formerly Govern ment entomologist in Fiji, has made a collection of the Australian black wasp (Scolia Soror) and has shipped a number of specimens.

The consignment went from Sydney to the Department of External Affairs, Wellington, NZ, by air; and there will await shipment to Apia.

Mr. Simmonds indicated that the ex periment is purely an experiment—he could not say whether the black wasps actually would attack the rhinoceros beetle or not. Two years ago he procured another kind of wasp, Scolia Oryctophaga, from Zanzibar and sent the specimens to Samoa, in the hope that they would flourish and deal with the pest; but nothing further had been heard of the Zanzibar wasp.

Something must be done about the rhinoceros beetle in Samoa, however.

Slowly and steadily, this pest is spread ing over and destroying the coconut plan tations —increasing, in spite of all that has been done by the planters and the administration.

Pacific Development Ltd. was struck off the register of Papuan companies last month.