The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-05-07
Danger from Foreign Insects.

Danger from Foreign Insects
T. D. A. Cockrell, entomologist OF the
New Mexico agricultural experiment
station, writes:
1t is commonplace observation that
most of our injurious insects are IN
Productions from abroad; and the mos'
cursory glance over the literature Oh
economic entomology will show that
every little while one is added to the
number of these alien pests. After years
OF comparative Indifference, the coun-
try is at length becoming alive to the
serious danger to our horticultural IN
terests from these continued introuuc-
tions, and measures are contemplated
for preventing them. Already, indeed
the state of California has established
horticultural quarantine officer with
full power to destroy, If need be, all in
tested plants arriving at that port
But California cannot alone protect the
United States from infestation, nor can
the efficiently protect herself, so long as
there are no proper precautions taken
in other parts of America. In this mat
ter, as in many others, the United States
must act for the United States; aided,
indeed by the people and legislatures
OF the several states and territories
but still uniformly and consistently,
from Maine to San Diego, and from
Puget Sound to Key West. 1t should be
clearly understood that what we now
know is but 1.-THE Of what might De
known, had proper attention been PAID
to the injurious insects of Japan, the
Pacific Islands, Mexico, Central ana
South America, and the West Indies.
Every collection of scale. insects from
those regions contains new species,
and the greatest Investigations yield
abundant new and unsupported facts.
The rapid spread of scale insects. In
these days of easy and rapid transit
cold storage and wardian cases, plants
are carried all over the world, and no
insects are more easily carried upon
them than the scale insects. Thus II
happens that while under natural con-
ditions scale insects have usually
rather restricted distribution, many
species of them are becoming or nave
become worldwide, and it looks as II
the end would only be reached when
every country possessed all those kinds
which were able to exist in it's climate.
The following instances will illustrate
the above statement:
W Diaspis amygdali or lanatus, the
destructive peach scale, was described
from Australia in 1889. To-day we
know it from Australia, Ceylon, Hong
Kong, Japan, several localities in the
United States, Jamaica, San Domingo
Grand Cayman, Barbados, Martln-
ique, Trinidad and Cape Colony. ]
(2) Aulacaspis rosae, the common
rose scale, was described from Europe,
but is now found also in the United
States, Australia, New Zealand, the
Sandwich Islands, China and Jamaica.
(3) Chionaspis citri. very destruct-
i've scale on citrus plants, was described
from Louisiana and Cuba in 1888; now
1t is known also from Trinidad, An
tigua, Demerara, Bermuda, Mexico,
Tonga, New Zealand and Australia.
a. Howardia biclavls, trouble
some scale of citrus and other plants,
was described in 1883 from specimens
on dollhouse plants in Washington City;
now it is known out-of-doors from
Trinidad, Mexico, Tahiti, Sandwich
Islands and Ceylon.
o. Lecanium oleae, the well-knoWn
black scale of California,is found, out
tofn in To NJ An
tigua, Trinidad, Europe, New Zealand.
Australia Sandwich Islands and Mex
leo
These may suffice as examples, when
could be multiplied many times if de-
sired. =