Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1921-09-02
MEXICAN BEAN BEETLE is A
GRAVE MENACE.

University Station, Baton Rouge,
La, Aug. S1-The Mexican bean
beetle, for many years a serious in
sect pest of garden beans, cowpeas,
and soy beans in Arizona, Colorado
and New Mexico, was not known
to occur east of Western Texas un-
til the summer of 1920, when it was
found to be present in several coun-
ties centering around Birmingham,
Alabama. 1t appears that it was in
troduced into this section q year or
two previously in shipments of al
falfa hay from one Of the South
western States, where it has long
been present.
Since the summer Of 1920 it has
been found that this pest has spread
over considerable area surround
ing that section of Alabama where
it was first found, according to Thos.
H. Jones, entomologist, Experiment
Station, L. S. U. Reports from the
United States Bureau of Entimology
show it to be present on August 1,
1921, over practically all of North
ern Alabama, portion of Northern
Georgia, and a large part Of Eastern
Tennessee. 1t has also been found in
the extreme western portions Of
North Carolina and South Carolina
and in Southeastern Kentucky. Be-
cause Of the large area now known
to be infested the quarantine meas
ures adopted in 1920 for the pur-
pose Of attempting to prevent the
spread of the insect from the
neighborhbod of Birmingham have
been abandonded.
Lite History.
The Mexican bean beetle has, as
do all beetles, four stages in its life
cycle-the egg, the larva or grub,
the pupa, and the beetle or adult.
All stages occur on the plants at
tackled, but only the grub ard the
beetle do damage. They feed upon
the green tissue Of the leaves. The
grub is bright yellow, it's body is
armed with numerous spines, and it
measures about one-fourth inch in
length when full grown. The beetle
is Of about the same length, is hemi-
spherical in shape and yellow in col
or, with 16 black spots on its back.
As yet no very satisfactory method
for controlling the pest is known.
While it might seem that spraying
or dusting the plants with q poision,
such as arsenate of lead OF Paris
green, would give satisfactory re-
suits in killing the grubs and beetles,
it has not proved successful in Ala
bama. This is due in part to the fact
that beans, cowpeas, and other le-
gumes are easily Injured or burned"
by such poisions applied at suffi-
cient strength t. kill the insect.
So far as is known the Mexican
bean beetle does not occur in Louis
lana. The neares. sections where it
is known to be present are :.';'cste'n
Texas on our West ana Western
Alabama on our East. Every effort
should be made to prevent the pest
entering Louisiana insofar as this is
practical. While there is little that
can be done to prevent its natural
and more or less gradual spread by
the fight of the beetles, much good
can be done by avoiding shipments
of various materials into the STATE
from infested areas. Through such
shipments there is danger Of the pest
making a Commercial jump" such
as it did from the Southwestern
States into Alabama. When cold
weather comes in the fall the adults
seek alternating quarters about the
fields where they have been feeding.
If they hibernate in material, such
as baled hay, baled straw, and boxes
Of goods, that is later shipped to
other points they are naturally trans
ported with it. This appears to be
the way in which commercial jumps
are most apt to occur, though it is
possible for the pest to be scattered
in other ways, % in shipments Of
beans and other vegetables from in
Tested gardens during the summer.