During 1981, seven generations were produced in the
 laboratory. In all, 8,181 Spodoptera larvae (i.e. S.
 eridania, S. frugiperda, S. latisfascia and S. sunia) were ex-
 posed to the parasite females. Of these, 2,830 (34.6%)
 were successfully parasitised. From 2,830 parasite cocoons,
 1,656 (58.5%) produced adults, of which 1,332 (80.4%)
 were males and 324 (19.6%) were females. All species of
 Spodoptera were successfully parasitised.
 The female actively approaches the caterpillar, vibrating
 its wings and antennae vigorously, and with a quick jab in-
 serts a single egg into the larval body. If the host larva in-
 itially escapes attack, the female pursues it until it is suc-
 cessful.
 Parasitised larvae continue to feed for a few days, before
 gradually losing their appetite; growth is arrested and the
 larvae become sluggish.
 The parasite's life-cycle was studied on S. latifascia, S.
 eridania and S. frugiperda. The development period on
 these hosts is given in Table 4.


TABLE 4. Life-cyce of Campoletis favicincta (Ashmeand), in three Spodoptera spp.

Development stages Host
of C. flavicincta S. latifascia S. eridania S. frugiperda
Egg-larval period (days) 11.6 + 0.31 10.6 + 0.12 .9.3 + 0.32
Pupal period (days) 6.1 + 0.25 6.0 + 0.07 6.0 + 0.19
Total development
period (days) 17.7 + 0.24 16.6 + 0.13 15.3 + 0.27

 These studies show that on S. frugiperda development
 took place in the shortest period, but because of its can-
 nibalistic habit, was not a suitable host for mass rearing in
 the laboratory. Instead, S. eridania, which can be bred very
 easily in the laboratory, was used.
 Between November 1981 and May 1982, 1,137 adults
 (260 females and 877 males) were released in pigeon-pea,
 maize, sorghum and alfalfa fields. No recoveries were
 made from pigeon-pea fields.
 5. Campoletis chloridae (Uchida), a native of India and
 Pakistan, was obtained during 1968, 1971, 1975 and 1982,
 through CIBC, Trinidad. Its general behaviour is similar to
 that of C.Flavicincta. When reared on the larvae of S.
 eridania, the egg-larval period occupied 9 to 11 days
 (average 10.6 days) and the pupal period lasted for 5 to 7
 days (average 6 days). The total development took 14 to 18
 days (average 16.6 days).
 Between October 1982 and March 1983, 976 laboratory
 bred adults (207\females and 769 males) were liberated in
 pigeon-pea and other crop fields. In April 1983, two emp-
 ty cocoons were recovered from a pigeon-pea pod.
 6. Eucelatoria bryani (Sabrosky)-This parsite was obtained
 from Arizona (U.S.A.), through CIBC, Trinidad, in 1972,
 and was multiplied in the laboratory.
 The flies mate readily. Mated females require a 7 to 8
 day gestation period. Mature flies were then dissected
 under a binocular microscope, and the parasite maggots
 placed on the host caterpillar with the aid of a camel hair
 brush. These then penetrate into the host body. After 4 to
 7 days feeding, four or more full-grown parasite larvae
 emerge from a single host and form puparia. The pupal
 period lasts for 7 to 10 days.
 Out of 2,330 parasitised larvae of H. virescens, 3,408
 puparia were obtained, and 2,225 adults (1,358 males and
 867 females) were released in pigeon-pea plots. No
 recoveries were made.


 Fundella cistipennis (Dyar) (Lepidoptera : Pyralidae) is another
pod-borer of pigeon-peas. It also attacks the pods of beans
(Phaseolus spp.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), seaside bean
(Cannavalia maritima) and stinking bush (Cassia occidentalis).
The larvae also bore into the stems of V. unguiculata and C. oc-
cidentalis.
 The eggs are ovate, shallowly domed dorsally, flattened against
the substratum ventrally and chorion ornamented with a network
of elongated polygons. Whitish in colour when freshly laid, they
later assume a pinkish colour. They are laid singly on the buds,
flowers and young pods.
 The larva is creamy-white, often tinged with pink, with a dark
brown head capsule. The newly hatched larva feeds outside the
pod for a few hours before boring into the pod, where it attacks
the developing seeds. Pupation usually occurs inside the pod
within a tough silken cocoon slightly projecting outside the pod.
The exposed portion of its cocoon is concealed by debris. The
total life-cycle lasts for 35 to 44 days.
 The natural enemies recorded in Barbados are listed in Table 5.


 TABLE 5. Natural enemies of Fundella cistipennis (Dyar), in Barbados.

 FAMILY SPECIES STAGE ATTACKED
 Trichogrammatidae T. fasciatum Egg-parasite
 Braconidae Bracon sp. Ecto-larval para.
 Bethylidae Parasierola (=Perisierola)
 sp. nigrifemur (Ashmead)
 Tachinidae Stomatoimyia ipse Walker Larval parasite
 Coccinellidae C. sanguine Preys upon eggs
 and young larvae
 Chrysopidae Chrysopa sp. do -
 C. lanata do -
 C. limitata do -


 The populations of these natural enemies were usually too low
to provide adequate control.
 Between 1968 and 1983 nine parasite species (six from CIBC,
Trinidad, and one each from India, St. Vincent and Antigua)
were obtained and released in pigeon-pea plots (see Appendix 2.)
 From those nine species, only two parasites, vis. B. hebetor
from India and Bracon sp. prob. hebetor (= B. brevicornis) from
St. Vincent were recovered in the field.
 The average levels of parasitism by B. hebetor were 8% in
1973, 1.3% in 1974 and 8% in 1975 and 1976; the highest level
of parasitism recorded at one locality was 46.6%.
 Bracon sp. prob. hebetor, was first released in March 1983.
Between April and December 1983, the range of parasitism
recorded was 2.1% to 70% (average 16.9%).

 Seed beetle Callosobruchus chinensis (Linnaeus) (Col-
eoptera : Bruchidae) has been recorded in the Greater and Lesser
Antilles.
 The bruchid is a serious pest, attacking seeds in the field as well
as in storage. The larvae develop inside the dry peas and beans.
 During these studies, out of 10,350 dry pods examined, 7,280
were infested by four species of Coleoptera and two of Lepi-
doptera. The most abundant of these was the bruchid.
 The adult is about 3mm long, greyish-black with white mark-
ings and two raised ivory spots at the middle of the hind margin
of the prothorax.
 The eggs are laid on the pods in the field or on the seeds in
storage, and hatch in 4 to 6 days. On hatching, the larvae bore in-
to the seeds. More than one larva can survive in a single seed and
they mature in about three weeks. Pupation occurs within the


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