The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1911-12-27
Diff FDOM
WHITE FLY
IT Is PROMISED BY PARASITE TO
BE INTRODUCED BIZ GOV
ERNMENT.

1
Florida at the recent announcement
that an attache Of the National Blu
reau Of Entomology had recently dis
covered in India a parasite which is
expected to do away with the pesti-
ferrous white fly, and the propagation
Of which will first begin at Orlando.
Later the sites will be distributed
throughout the entire orange belt.
In response to request for infor-
nation on the subject, L. o. Howard,
chief Of the bureal, wrote Congress
man Frank Clark the following in
teresting letter on the subject:
my Dear sir-In response to your
request for information on the
subject Of the recent search for ma
tive home and parasite of the white
fly. L beg to submit. the following
data:
''Mr. R. s. Woglum, of this bu-
reau, was commissioned to under
take the search, and left. for India
via Europe in, July, 1910. Nearly
year and half was spent in this
work. The countries particularly
, explored in relation to the white fly
were India, Bermas Ceylon, Java
Penang and the Philippine Islands.
He found the true white fly through
out Northern India, on the southern
f. slope of the Himalayas, practically
3 wherever orange trees are grown
and extending as far eastward as As
sam. Wherever he found the white
fly he found evidence of parasitism
and control by predaceous beetles.
No white fly was. found in Ceylon,
Java. Penang or the Philippine Is
q lands. The wide distribution of
q this insect in North Central India
land along the southern slope Of the
EHimalayas indicates very conclusive
Elv that this region is the native habi-
tat Of the species, and presumably
the most likely situation for the dis
4 Ecoyery Of useful parasites and pre-
daceous enemias.
'ssome of the first material Mr
e Woglum sent to this bureau showed
evidence of this parasitism, and soma
of the parasites which had emerged
and died en- route were. obtained
and proved. to be new species and
gave every indication Of being a
= useful means of control. Mr.. Wog-
lum was therefore directed last Feb
8 ruary, by cable, to return to India
= and make as large collections Of pa
rasitic and. .predaceous enemies OF the
: white fly as he could, and send them
- or accompany them to America. He
- chose Lahore, in North Central India
u as the most promising field for work
and spent the spring and summer o.
Lahore. making his studies and col
lection Of parasites and predaceoui
beetles. Unusual difficulties were
h experienced, due to the excessive
heat of the summer, which for thu
time, being destroyed both the white
fly and its parasites. Later in tn
III summer, however, following heav'
u rains. the white fly, together witt
~ the parasitic and predaceous enc
an mics multiplied suddenly, and b
'eu was able to make extensive collec
tions for importation.
"The insects collected included tn
DIS true parasite already referred to an
RS some half dozen different ciccine'
lay lidae beetles, which were found eitf
or er feeding on the white fly or feedin
on scale insects and plant lice, an
therefore desirable for importatio
Ike to this country. This material wa
tie collected and colonized In potte
,ell plants and enclosed in large gla
cases. known as Wardian cases, al
in this manner brought over Centr
India TO Bombay, shipped to Napl
'io.' '. ana trans-shipped at Naples for Ne
'l'n York. Mr.. Woglum accompani
aln- the sending and watched it with t
minutest care during the long ira
sit, occupying more than mont
and followed it to Florida, where t
whole sending arrived in absolute
In0 perfect condition.
laV Considering the size Of the sh
ment and the unusual difficulty 81
The rounding It's accumulation and p
res paration, this is perhaps one Of
arty most notable introductions Of bel
resi- icial insects ever made to this COZ
cad try
Sem ''This collection is now establish
for at Orlando. Fla, and being very ca
and. fully guarded. and every effort
align