Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-12
Deadly Foe of Fruit Moth
Seen Able to Check Wide
spread Destruction.
TWO OTHER PESTS
SLASHING PROFITS
Department of Agriculture Elk
perts Believe War of Insects
Will Solve Problem.
BY THOMAS r.. HENRY.

BY THOMAS r.. HENRY.
An army of millions of tiny wasps is
being recruited by the Department of
Agriculture to take the field in defense
of Americas peach crop.
The enemy is the oriental peach moth,
which has been especially destructive
in the last two years and is described
by DR.. A. L. Quaintance of the Bureau
of Entomology as "the black beast of
American entomologiStS," since it stub
bornly refuses to be killed by poisons.
1t started its destructive career in
Washington, but has spread over the en-
tire country east of the Mississippi dur
ing the past Is years: The insect is
generally supposed to have been intro
duced from Japan with the first ship
ment of Japanese cherry trees. Before
that it had been unknown in the world
and how it got there is one of the mys-
terieS of entomology.
1t was detected by Department of
Agriculture scientists and described as a
new species. Japanese entomologists
had not known of it's existence, but were
able to identify it in their own country
by the descriptions received from Wash
ington.
Native Champion Arises.
1t is not a native of Japan. Near
relatives are found IN southern Europe
and North Africa, and now the peach
moth itself has been identified there, but
entomologistS are convinced that if it
was a native of the Mediterranean
region it could not have remained I'M
known so long, since The insect life of
this area has been extensively studied
for years. There is some evidence that
it originated in Australia.
In its original home it apparently has
been kept down very effectively by some
natural enemy, and the ordinary pro-
cedure would be to find this enemy and
introduce it to the United States But
the entomologiStS do not know where to
look
Now, says Dr. Quaintance, a native
champion has arisen. 1t is a tiny, fly
like wasp which for generations has
SubSisted on another American insect
pest, the strawberry leaf roller. Where
ever this wasp has come in contact with
the peach moth 1T has turned upon it
avidly, causing great destruction of the
pest.
Unfortunately, says DR.. Quaintance,
the wasp is not very abundant having
been kept down by the limited food sup
ply afforded by the strawberry leaf
roller. At the New Jersey station of
the Bureau of Entomology an effort is
being made to rear hundreds of thou
sands of the insects, to be turned loose
in peach orchards all over the country.
The difficulty is to find food for the
young wasps. 1t is impossible to find
enough strawberry leaf rollers to feed
great hordes of them. Experiments are
in progress to find some other insect
food of which an unlimited supply can
be raised upon which the moths can be
"weaned" until the entomologiStS are
willing to turn them loose.
Bait Placed for Moths.
Another offensive on a big scale
against the peach moth is being tested
out in two 500-acre orchards in north
ern Georgia and southern Indiana.
Beside each tree is placed a pole from
which is suspended, on level with the
topmoSt branches, quart fruit jar
baited with molaSseS and fruit juices.
These are expected to trap the moths
by the thousands. The jars will be in
Spected twice a week and the moths
and other trapped insects counted.
The peach moth was especially de-
StructiVe last year. This year the
Bureau of Entomology already has re-
ceived great number Of complaints Of
its attacks on the twigs.
Besides the peach moth, says DR..
Quaintance, two unusual insect pests
are causing considerable destruction In
the District of Columbia and nearby
States this year One is the grapevine
flea beetle, q small, steely blue beetle
which scoops out the live tissue in grape
buds early in the Spring. 1t has been
known in this area for many years but
seldom is sufficiently abundant to
cause trouble. Apparently, DR.. Quaiu-
tapna saws IT. usually is kent down bV
some delicate balance of nature against
which 1t barely survives. A very slight
upsetting of this balance. perhaps some
condition which obtained last Summer,
may have resulted in the survival of
great numbers.
The other is lachmus abietis, large,
dark brown aphid which feeds on ever
greens, especially the decorative Norway
spruce. Ordinarily it is abundant in
| the northern evergreen forest belt, but
seldom comes so far south in any great
numbers. This year numerous COM
plants have been received from District
| gardeners.
While it is a disagreeable pest. DR..
| Quaintance said, it is not Immediately
dangerous and can be controlled by
spraying the trees with a nicotine sui
phate solution. The abundance OF this
| aphid, he believes, also is due to some
slight upset in the balance of nature
which ordinarily keeps 1t down.
The destructive Japanese beetle ap-
parently is we'll under control In the
| District of Columbia, but Is far from
eliminated, according to the Bureau OF
Entomology. An expert is soon TO be
| sent on a 4-year expedition to Japan
| Australia, North Africa and southern
Europe to search for some natural para
| site of this beetle.