Scientific War On Fiji Weeds

FROM the Fiji Public Relations Offici bulletin of February 21:— The Fiji Government Entomologist (Mr B. A. O’Connor) made a short visit h Brisbane recently to obtain a colony o a fruitfly, Euaresta aequalis, which breed, in the seeds of the Noogoora Burr, a weec which occupies considerable areas Oi alluvial soil in Viti Levu. This fly wa. originally introduced to Australia fron Texas USA, and although it has had n® significant effect on the burr in Australis it has been decided that it is worth a tria in Fiji where better results may be oh tained under Fiji’s climatic conditions.

During May, 1950, Mr. Alan P. Dodd Officer in charge of the Biological Laboratories of the Department of Publit Lands, Queensland, collected for the Fiji Department of Agriculture 100,000 burrs of which 30 per cent, were estimated to be parasitised by the fly. It was decide® that the burrs themselves could not b* brought to Fiji, owing to a slight risM that they might bring in with them th» Australian cattle tick, which transmit* fatal diseases of cattle. Hence it wa:. necessary that the parasites, in the larvai and pupal stages, should be dissecteo from the burrs in Queensland, and then brought to Fiji. There was no informa-, tion as to whether the flies could success-: fully emerge from pupae which had been removed from the burrs, but there wa:. no alternative but to try this method. T proved to be very successful.

A laboratory was made available, ano the services of a number of Queenslano University students were secured for thu arduous task of dissecting many thous< ands of burrs. As a result 2,400 puparis and 1,400 larvae of the parasite wen flown to Fiji, where the flies an now emerging satisfactorily.

The main liberation of the parasite:' is being made in the Sigatoka Valley, ano others may later be made at Nadi ano at Ba.