Abstract
THIS sumptuously produced volume is in reality a detailed account of a single experiment in applied entomology. It is concerned with the biological control of a species of moth the larva of which, in attacking the coconut palms of Fiji, threatened the copra industry of those islands with disaster. The insect in question, Levuana iridescens, belongs to the family Zygsenidae and, so far as is known, is confined to Fiji. Its larvae, by destroying the foliage of the coconut, converted what were originally waving green- fronds into remnants of miserable lifeless grey. Since the insect proved to be free from parasitic enemies, this fact in itself suggested that its original home may be in some land other than Fiji. It also appeared probable that the introduction, under favourable conditions, of some effective insect enemy might go a long way towards solving the problem of its control. The present volume is a record of how this theory was translated into practice.
The Coconut Moth in Fiji: a History of its Control by means of Parasites.
Dr. J. D. Tothill, assisted by T. H. C. Taylor and R. W. Paine. Published for the Government of Fiji. Pp. vii + 269. (London: The Imperial Bureau of Entomology, 1930.) 31s. 6d. net.
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IMMS, A. The Coconut Moth in Fiji: a History of its Control by means of Parasites . Nature 127, 86 (1931). https://doi.org/10.1038/127086a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/127086a0