Evening star., 1926-09-19
SCIENTISTS ENLIST INSECTS
EFFECTIVELY IN PEST FIGHTS
Carefully Raised Parasites Have Been
Found Valuable Allies in Battle Against
Tiny Destroyers of Valuable Crops.

tachinid fly has flown valiantly tc
the rescue with such efficient results
, that IS Per cert of tl1s satin moth
larvae are para sitiZed h!' This valuable
ally. bringing the new invader well
under control.
Alfalfa NceyiI Checked.
In the West. the altnIf1 weevil has
been getting in Geva stating work on
the alfalfa crcp of the great basin for
the last decade. It has been gradu-
ally spreading and every effort is he
ing extended to head it off from the
great alfalfa growing regions in
Kansas and Nebraska. Parasites from
Switzerland were liberated in the
fields as early as 1911 and from time
to time various others have been
turned loose to do their bit. Recent
investigation shows that consider
able per cent Of the alfalfa weevils or
their larvae have been laid low by
their imported enemies.
Such an investigation. means that
field workers have to collect thou
sands Of specima ans of the insects in
question and their grubbv larvae
from the alfalfa fields and decide
whether they are sick Or Well count
all the corpses and conduct post
mortems on them to see just what
pttI dSiI"S ll1IS them ole.
Dozens of parasites have been tried
out on the beetle from Japan that
has found an ideal beetle paradise in
the region around New Jersey and
eastern PENNSYLVANIA. Comparatively
harmless in its native island the Jap
anese beetle iG almost omnivorcus in
America wnera climatic conditions
seem to he perfectly suited to it's
constitution. IT eats almost every
thing that grows. both the fruit and
foliage If shade trees and orchards
as well as rrnpT S3;ch as beans and
clover. NO native insects attack it
ana Government experts have been
securing Japan 10 find the foes that
hold it in check there. Only time
can show what effect these trans
ported enemies will have.
Insects have likewise been called in
TO aid in the fight against the prickly
pear cactus in Australia Brought in
by some white settler. the prckly
pear found the new continent the
place par excellence where it could
live end thrive. with the consequence
hat millions Of square miles are ra is
ing no other crop than cactus. Every
kind of insect that has ever been
known to feed on the pricl<ly pear
anywhere on the face of the globe
has been sought out by the entomolog-
ical agents of tho Australian n common
wealth and brought home to do its
worst, At the present time. unfor-
tunately, the odds are still on the
cactus.
Blackberry Is Pest.
A similar state Of affairs exists in
tho neighhoring island nf New Zea
II nd. only here the c'llDrit is the com
IL hn oj9ta
amuck. croWdine out every other
plant over large areas. Recently DR..
II T. Tillyard. a New Zealand ento-
moogsts. who is n we'll known au.
thority on fossil insects. paused for a
short time IN the United States on a
ro1nd-the world quest for some insect
that might help free New Zealand Of
the prickly briars of too many black
berry bushes.
The European cornborer is for
mida bile enemy of our corn crop that Is
being held within bounds with diff
Guilty. Different parasites have been
tried out but 1t is Impossible as yet
10 say definitely how much good they
have done DR.. l.. O. Howard. head
of the United States Bureau of En-
tomoioct. however. has given a dra-
matte account of one of these expert
ments wherein cages of wasps were
carried out into the corn fields OF
Ontario on cold raw day in the Fall
Immediately they We're released the
waSps began 70 search through the
corn stalks for horers in which To lay
their eggs Later dissection showed
that almost every stalk contained a
horer fun of eggs. So il is within the
range Of possibility that, given time,
these wasps will contribute to the
salvation Of orr corn supply.
Making allies Of ;he natural foes Of
insect PESTS is being put into actual
nrrctica both here and abroad. par
ticularly in the great fruit growing
section ~ the south of France.
There is per',,iae n1n~n real interna-
tional good wiz on tie part of CO.
operating ensomnl"g ,sts 0f different
nationalitieS :han obtains In any
other group of workers. Parasites
from Hawaii are sent To help annihi-
late the Nediterra mean fruit fly in the
Perr,udas. while from n laboratory In
zane 'Tnwn. Africa. shipments of para
sites are sent - wage +" on the
black scale cf the citrus trees Of Cali
fnrn'a All ore' the world there is
his mutually helpful exchange Of in
sec:s that may bring benefit to hu-
manity
The Government experts, who are
the most hopeful over biological
control" rs met nod of great promise
for the future protection OF our crops.
are very cautious about making rose
colored statements. Many years are
usually necessary. they say. before
he results are big enough to he seen.
.