Lygus simonyi, Reut. (Hem. Capsid.), a Pest of Coffee in Kenya Colony

Abstract

1. A serious form of coffee flower abortion that occurred in Kenya Colony in 1930 is described.2. A Capsid, Lygus simonyi, Reut., is shown by experiments to be capable of causing this abortion.3. It is shown that by feeding on the stamens at an early stage in the bud's development, the bug causes their early blackening and abortion, resulting in the complete failure of the flower.4. Some notes on the life-history, habits, and natural enemies are included.5. It is shown that owing to abnormal flowering conditions in 1930 the bug was enabled to do very serious damage.6. Some other abnormal conditions of the buds, not considered to be caused by the bug are described.7. A number of control measures that proved unsatisfactory are shortly described.8. A detailed description is given of the application of a spray prepared by extracting the insecticidal properties of pyrethrum with paraffin. This spray is inexpensive, easy to apply quickly, and seems likely to prove efficacious on a large scale.9. It is suggested that such sprays may have a considerably wider application.My acknowledgements are due to the Senior Entomologist, Mr. T. J. Anderson, for kindly reading the manuscript; also to a large number of coffee-planters, in particular to Mr. P. J. Coldham, on whose estate much of the above work was done, and to whose interest and help, particularly with regard to cultural questions, I owe much.