Bridwell, J.C.

Crawford, D.L.

Fullaway, D.T.

Giffard, W.M.

Swezey, O.H.

Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society

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439DEFERRED BUSINESS.The Committee on Entomological Organization submitteda report, containing recommendations to the Bishop Museumand the Committee of the National Council of Kesearch, onentomological work in the Pacific. The report was acceptedand the Secretary ordered to communicate a copy to Dr. EL E.Gregory, Director of the Bishop Museum, and to printthe same in the Proceedings. The Committee was thendischarged and its work transferred to the Executive Committee with the addition of J. C. Bridwell.The President announced the appointment of Messrs.Timberlake, Pemberton and Bridwell as a Committee onCommon Names of Economic Insects, Mr. Timberlake to actas chairman.Report of the Committee on Entomological Organization.(Submitted Dec. 9, 1919)Biological, Problems of the Hawaiian Insect Eauna.In the recommendations made by this Committee for linesof entomological work appropriate to be carried on by theBishop Museum, and presented to the Society for consideration at a special meeting June 17, 1919, and later transmitted to the Director of the Museum, one topic wasdesignated, "Biological Problems," in connection with theendemic insect fauna, without giving detailed statement ofsuch problems. The Committee now presents a detailed outline of certain lines of work open for research investigations with the endemic Hawaiian insect fauna.1. Life Histories in General.Much remains to be done in working out life histories andother habits in all the Orders of insects; and the discovery oftheir food plants and host relations, or other food habits.440Special Subjects.Lepidoptera.Leafminers of Pelea (Opostega sp.).Other Jeafminers.Banana moths.Leafroller caterpillars.Wood feeding caterpillars^Fruit and seed caterpillars.Discovery of food plants of caterpillars in genera in which theyare at present unknown, e. g.: Mestolobes, Orthomecyma, etc.Habits of the case moths of the large genus Hyposmocoma (170species).Hymenoptera.Nesting habits of wasps.Food of predatory and parasitic wasps.The genus Sierola and host relations.The genus Sclerodermus and host relations.The genus Bupelmus and host relations.Parasites of Lepidoptera.Parasites of scale insects.Parasites of mealy bugs and Aphis.Parasites of Delphacidae.Parasites of Coleoptera.Coleoptera.The Carabidae.The longhorn beetles (Plagithmysides).The genus Heteramphus.The genus Rhynocogonus.The genus Proterhinus.Beetles in relation to the declining forests.Beetles feeding in dead wood#Predacious beetles.Flightless beetles.Hosts of Laboulbeniaceac.»Scavenger beetles.Parasitism of Coleoptera,Diptera.Aquatic Diptera.Leafminers.Parasitic DipteraThe crane flies.The genus Dyscritomyia.The genus Drosophila (many native species).4:4:1Bomoptera.The Jumping Plant-lice (Psyllidae).Leafhoppers (Delphacidae).The genus Oliarus.Tree hoppers (Jassidae).Endemic mealy-bugs.Parasitism of Homoptera.Heteroptera.Predacious bugsThe genus Oechalia.The genus Reduviolus.The genus Nysius.The Capsidae,Orthoptera.Predacious forms.Parasitism of Orthoptera.Odonata, Neuroptera, etc.Habits of the Hemerobiids.Parasitism of the Hemerobiids.Discovery of larval habits of native antlion.•Dragon-flies.Psocidae.Studies in Variation, including breeding experiments, canbe carried on with several of the groups. This line of research is specially attractive here, for six or more generationsmay be had per year.Of these special subjects, those with reference to Hymen-<optera have several of the members of the Society speciallyinterested in them: the Aculeates—Messrs. Giffard, Williams,Timberlake and Bridwell; the Parasitica—Messrs. Fullaway,'Timberlake, Bridwell and Swezey.In the Lepidoptera, Mr. Swezey has been carrying on researches in most of the lines mentioned.In Coleoptera, Messrs. Giffard, Bridwell and Swezey areespecially interested in certain problems, and Dr. Perkins isstill doing systematic work with the beetles.The Diptera are receiving less attention than some of theOrders. They have been considerably neglected in the past.442The Homoptera have several working on them: Messrs.Giffard, Muir, Timberlake, Swezey, Bridwell and Crawford.The Heteroptera are not being actively dealt with just atpresent, nor are the other Orders: Orthoptera, Odonata, Neu-roptera, etc., though much material is at hand for working,especially in the Heteroptera.In fact the entomologists of Honolulu, members of theHawaiian Entomological Society, or those engaged officially inentomological work of one kind or another chiefly with reference to economic or practical work with insect pests at one oranother of the different institutions, are interested in many ofthe lines of research above indicated, and have spent muchtime on some of them, and are continuing to do so as timeand opportunity presents. But in this way progress mustneeds be slow as compared with a research worker putting hiswhole time and attention on a special subject, without otherduties to continually interrupt or interfere with his progress.2. Collecting.For most of the lines above mentioned, much collecting isnecesssary, not only in general throughout the Islands, but inspecial places where no collecting has been done, particularlyin localities where the native forests are rapidly on the decline and are disappearing, and this can best be done bypersons trained in the special methods of insect collecting inthese Islands, to obtain results, and capable of taking the desired notes and data as to host, location, other conditions, etc.3. Systematic Entomology.This line of work must go hand in hand with biologicalresearches. It involves: descriptions of new species; revisionsof groups; production of synoptic tables, etc. Many of themembers of the Entomological Society are having a share inthis already.4. Bearing on Factors of Evolution.Many of the biological problems are of great importance on443account of the bearing they have on the factors of evolution,and should be carried on with these points in mind.The present economic entomologists should by all meansbe encouraged to continue with the lines of research they areinterested in and now following; but an efficient entomologicalstaff at the Museum would be in position to carry on manylines of research to advantage which cannot be satisfactorilyhandled by the other entomologists.Reference Collection of Hawallan In,sects.It is only natural that a subject of such consuming interestto the active workers in entomology here, as the entomologicalpolicy of the Bishop Museum, should receive further thoughtand deliberation, and we find ourselves at present, after thelapse of six months, burdened with many suggestions of a specific nature on the means of accomplishing the work outlined.Kegarding a "Reference Collection of Hawaiian Insects," wedesire to state our absolute conviction that nothing of importance can be accomplished in the way of building up such a collection of Hawaiian insects until a competent, trustworthy andpermanent curator of insects is appointed. Only a competentman can do the work well, and the labor involved would requirehis entire time for many years. It has been stated before thatthere are "types" and series of specimens of endemic as wellas introduced insects ready for the Museum when a competent and trustworthy custodian is provided and liberal regulation of their use admitted.It has also been pointed out that the Museum now has representatives of sixty-four per cent of the species of Hawaiian insects known and listed at the time the Fauna Hawaiiensis Avaspublished. These are virtually "types," being actual specimensin hand when the descriptions were made. With so large aproportion already possessed a complete representation seemseminently desirable, and its importance to workers here, whoare desirous of carrying on the labors of Blackburn, Perkins,Kirkaldy and others, cannot be over-stated. It is impossiblefor most of us to go as far as London to examine the "types"444unrepresented here, yet thorough descriptive work cannot bedone without seeing them. Apparently undescribed speciesare constantly being discovered as the result of intensive collecting, which should be published. Also many groups ofHawaiian insects need revison badly and the material is athand for the work. The Museum could foster work of thiskind by offering to finance the study of the "types" by specialists undertaking descriptive or revisory work, receiving in return for the outlay, the manuscripts for publication and insectmaterial, including "types," specimens compared with "types,"and series of specimens for reference to build up the collections. Some of this work could undoubtedly be undertakenby the curator.When the further entomological exploration of the Pacific, now in contemplation, begins to secure results, if, asthis Society has strongly urged, the material obtained is turnedover to the Museum, the need for this advanced organization ofits entomological work will become more imperative and indeed, this work should not otherwise be undertaken.The Entomological Exploration of the Pacific.In view of the plans now under consideration for thefurther scientific exploration of the South Pacific by means ofan exploring voyage in the near future, the Hawaiian Entomological Society has felt it could be of assistance by aformulation of its experience and its conception of the methodsby which the work in its own field may best be carried out.In the fifteen years of its existence there has been developedamong its membership a lively interest in the wider entomological problems of the Pacific and the discussions of thesematters have resulted in the crystallization of definite ideasamong its members, probably based upon a broader experienceof Pacific, and particularly Polynesian, entomology than canbe found in any other body of scientific men.The broad purpose of the scientific exploration now incontemplation is doubtless to secure material upon which to445base a well grounded opinion in regard to the supposed formerexistence of a Pacific continent and thus to secure further evidence upon the question of the permanence of the continentsand oceans, and, if there may be considered to have been sucha Pacific continent, to find its former extent and its relationsto the surrounding continental areas, its antiquity, the originof its fauna and flora, and the extent of divergence in thevarious groups, and to trace as far as it may be done, thehistory of the human race in the Pacific. To the broad purpose of the exploration and to the subordinate ends, we feelthat an adequate entomological exploration will contributelargely. The richness and diversity of any insect fauna incomparison with that of other phases of land animals and itsgreater persistence under conditions leading to the extinctionof the larger forms of animal life, tends to make the conclusions drawn from it less subject to accidental errors. Webelieve that the biological evidence in regard to these problemsmust rest primarily upon a thorough knowledge of thephanerogamic flora, the land shells and the insects of the regions to be explored.How this knowledge of the insect fauna may best be secured is indicated by the work done in the past. Few, if any,of the great explorations in the Pacific have made any considerable contribution to our knowledge of the insect fauna,and today the only group of islands in the Pacific where thisfauna is at all adequately known is our own group where theCommittee of the Royal Society and the British Associationhit upon the method by which an insect fauna may be madeknown. It was by the selection of such an extremely- capableentomological naturalist as Dr. Perkins and by keeping himlong enough upon the ground to do the work that the truly remarkable results embodied in the6 Fauna Hawaiiensis weresecured.In the opinion of this Society, the adequate entomologicalexploration of the Pacific from the standpoint of the problemsstated and the particular phase of the relation of the Hawaiian446insect fauna to that of the South Pacific, requires the exploration of certain islands or groups of islands. Those which seemto us most important are these: The Galopagos, San Juan" Fernandez, Easter Island, some.of the low eastern coral islandssuch as the Paumotus, the Marquesas, Tahiti, Samoa, theFijis, and some of the low western coral islands, probably theMarshall Islands. Aside from these the Bonin Islands areknown to have some curious biological relations which maketheir exploration desirable and the insect fauna of New Zealand, other than the beetle fauna is in great need of further exploration. The island groups between Fiji and New Guinea,while of very great interest, are so obviously related entomo-logically to New Ghiinea that their exploration would fall intorelation with the exploration of that region rather than withthe region which we have under consideration.The Galopagos Islands are generally supposed to have beenmore or less thoroughly explored entomologically but in discussing the matter with Dr. F. X. Williams, who did theentomological work for the California Academy of SciencesExpedition, we learn that he considers that less than fifty percent of the Galopagos insect fauna is known and tnat moreintense collecting, particularly in the upland forest, which hasproved to have so many peculiar and interesting forms in theHawaiian Islands, is much to be desired.While an exploring voyage such as is being planned atpresent, may, under proper arrangements, secure results ofinestimable value in planning the future work of exploration,it will be a most deplorable mistake to suppose that it will bepossible, under the conditions of such a voyage at its Very best,to make an adequate entomological exploration of any but thesmallest of the islands and then only if there are other matters -of importance which are likely to lead to a considerable timebeing spent there. The only way in which the explorationsmay secure materials upon which any well based' opinions canbe founded, is to place a well trained man on the ground fora period of not less than one year and in all probability for a447 'longer period. If his work can be done simultaneously withbotanical explorations, much will be gained, for the most' ef-\ fective entomological work in these regions calls for an intimateknowledge of the flora which can hardly be expected from anentomologist working alone.Judging from our experience here, even the best collectorof insects from the temperate regions needs a complete reeducation in methods of work before he can work in such regionsas those to be explored, for it may be expected that the insectsthere, as they are in Hawaii, will be found closely attached tothe endemic or native plants and one unfamiliar with thehundreds of tropicopolitan plants will waste much of his timeon these plants, when one familiar with conditions would bedoing significant work. It seems to be of the greatest importance that there should be secured, if possible, for the workwith the proposed expedition and in the necessary subsequentwork, someone who has had experience in collecting in theHawaiian Islands and is already somewhat familiar with thespecial methods of collecting which have been developed here,and with the special problems of the Pacific.We have already expressed ourselves as of the -opinionthat such future explorations of the entomology of the Pacificshould be centered in the Bishop Museum of Honolulu and webelieve the material secured should be placed there and studiedunder the administration of the curator of insects when thatposition is filled. With the proper organization of this work,in that institution, it is probable that these explorations willarouse a continuing interest in this work among residents of thevarious island groups and will result in further material beingmade available for study when they know where such materialcan be sent. -^^ L. Crawford,W. M. GlFFARD,O. H. SWEZEY,.J. C. Bridwell,D. T. FlJLLAWAY,-•■-.. Committee.

Report of the Committee on Entomological Organization

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Report of the Committee on Entomological Organization

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