MONTHLY LETTER OF THE BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Number 121 UBKARV ^ j924

BUREAU COMMITTEE ON MANUSCRIPTS

The increasing numher of manuscripts presented for publication and the
widening diversity resulting from modern specialization have made evident the
need of a careful consideration by the Bureau of the question of publications.

On May 3, 1924, therefore-, I appointed a special Committee on Manuscripts.

This Committee is composed of the following members: Dr. Baker (Chairman),

Prof. Dean, Mr. Graf, Dr. Back, Mr. Webb, Dr. Phillips, Mr. Burgess, Dr. Craig-
head, Mr, Rohwer, and Mr. Currie. This Committee will be charged with the
critical examination of all manuscripts submitted for publication. Each man-
uscript will be read by several members of the committee and by^ such specialists
as may be called upon for assistance. The committee will also undertake to
prepare a tabulation of the different types of papers in which the work of
the Bureau may be reported to best advantage, and some discussion of the
criticisms which manuscripts have received. This tabulation, together with a
list of publications of value in the preparation of scientific papers, will be
made available to bureau experts.

It is hoped that the activities of the Committee will facilitate a more
accurate, concise, and scientific presentation of results, and all employees
are urged to cooperate as fully as possible in order to expedite publication.

L. 0. H.

FRUIT INSECT INVESTIGATIONS
A. L. Quaintance, Entomologist in Charge

Fred E, Brooks, of the French Creek, W. Va. , Station, spent May 21 to 26
in Washington and in the vicinity of Petersburg, Va. Arrangements were made
■for carrying on experiments in chestnut-weevil control this season in the
.Department’s chestnut orchard at Bell, Md. Mr Brooks is also preparing to
continue work oh the hickory twig-girdler [Oneideres cingnlata) , and on several
species of Agrilus injurious to nut trees.

Oliver I. Snapp, in charge of peach insect investigations at Fort Valley,
Ga.,, states: "Jarring records and results of peach 'drop' experiments show

that, the curculio infestation at the present time is lighter in the Georgia
peach belt than at any time since the curculio suppression campaign was
started four years ago. The quality of the fruit on the trees is the best
since 1918, and there are very few indications of curculio work. Georgia will
in all probability harvest this year the largest crop that has ever been
produced in the State."

B. S. Brown, Jr., a senior at Clemson Agricultural College, has been ap-
pointed field assistant at the Fort Valley field station, to assist with curculio
investigations.

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Prof. A. F. Conradi, State Entomologist of Soath Carolina, and a dele-
gation from his State visited the peach insect laboratory at Fort Valley,

Ga., on May 20, to observe investigations onder Tray,

E. J. Nev/comer, in charge of the Yakima, Wash,, Station, rrites: "There

i,7as a very decided increase in the amoant of oil used as a dormant spray in
the Yakima Valley this spring. In I923 not over 200 barrels Tzere used. In
1924 there have been about 10 carloads of lubricating oil and 4 carloads of
prepared oil sprays used, equaling about 1,200 barrels of stock spray. This
T70uld be enou^ to spray about one-tenth of the trees in the valley. In
spite of this, lime-sulphur manufacturers report the sale of more lime-
sulphur than last year. Of the oils used, probably as much cold-mixed casein-
oil emulsion -was used as anything, the grov;ers making it themselves vrith
power spray outfits."

Dr. B. A. Porter, in charge of apple insect investigations at Vincennes,
Ind., states; "Orchard men in southern Indiana continue to report good control
of the San Jose scale with the lubricating-oil emulsion. Counts made recently
in tvro commercial orchards showed 0,7 psr cent of live scale in one, and 0,1
per cent in the second.

"Two interesting points were brought out by an investigation into a
serious injury to peach trees in southern Indiana, viiich for a time was
attributed to the use of paradi chlorobenzene for the control of the peach
tree borer, but was soon shovm conclusively to be due to winter injury. The
first point was the extent to which this chemical treatment has been adopted
by the growers. It was impossible to find a commercial orchard of any size
F,hich had not been so treated. The second point was the almost total absence
of borers from the treated orchards, most of irhich have now had three annual
treatments. In the best orchards less than one per cent of the trees examined
showed any sign of recent borer infestation, while untreated trees in this
section are absolutely infested."

Basil E, Montgomery of Poseyville, Ind., is assisting during the summer
in the work of the station at Vincennes. Mr. Montgomery is a graduate of
Oakland City College, and is planning to take graduate vrork in entomology
at Purdue this fall.

H. K. Plank, in charge of the camphor scale project at Mew Orleans,
and ‘.7. D. T/hitcomb visited some Satsuraa orange groves near Mobile, Ala.,
on May S and 9i with a view of inaugurating spraying experiments in the con-
trol of the camphor scale. In one grove, reported to be a fair average of
the southern Alabama orange district, about 75 per cent of the trees were entirely
killed by the freeze of last January, when the temperature went to about l4° F.

Two small Satsuma groves near Gulfport, Miss., were almost entirely wiped out
by this freeze, and in one large grove near Lyman, Miss., in perhaps better
growth condition, about 30 per cent of the trees were killed. Few if any of the
Satsoma trees vhich survive will produce fruit this season.

On May l4 and I5, Messrs. Planlc, Dhitcomb, and Catchings, with Ed. Foster,
Collaborator of the Federal Horticultural Board, judged an exhibition of insects

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at Nevr Orleans, in -which ty;o Ke-v7 Orleans ITornial School classes and seven Hew
Orleans grade schools competed for local prises, Ihese exhihits are held twice
a yea,r and a grea-t deal of interest is shown in them hy all the stndents,

A- I, Fahis, of the Bro-'.'mwood, Tex^, laboratory, vTites that Phylloxera
carya^ecaalis galls a>,re noinercas on native pecan timber in that section. He
also states that Melanoplu.s different ialis is abont as severe as daring last
season, when this pest defoliated pecan trees adjacent to fields and in planted
orchards.

IRUCK-GHOP INSECT INVESTIGATIONS
J. E. Graf, Entomologist, Acting in Charge

K- L, Cockerkam, of Biloxi, Miss.., and S, C. Brojurnitt, of Silverhill,
Ala., recently met -withe the authorities of the Alabama. State Board of Agri-
culture, at Mobile, A,la*, to fo-rm.ulate further plans for the futo.re conduct
of the sweet-potato weevil eradication work in Alabama in cooperation with
the above board,

J, E. Dudley, of Madison, TJis., has opened a branch laboratory for
the summer at Coloiiibas, 17is,, where extensive tests will be conducted on the
control of the pea aphis with various insecticides and the aphidozer which he
designed last year. Any observations of particular interest on the pea aphis
should be sent to Mr. Dudley, ac Col.umbus..

N. P. Hov/ard, of Birmingham, Ala., visited Columbus and other points
in Ohio, to prepare plans for the establishment of a new temporary substation
at Columbus for the study of the Mexican bean beetle in its occurrence in
Ohio, He also conferred with State and Uni-/ersity officials*

M. M. High, of Gulfport, Miss*, visited various points in the lower
Rio Grande Ve.lley to check up the results of various experiments against the
sweet-potato wee’'’’il and other truck-crop pests®

D, E. Eink, of Riverton, N. J. , visited Washington during the latter part
of May to discuss the publication of various manuscripts which he has prepared
on truck-crop insects, includi.ng the strav/berry leaf -roller and its principal
parasite.

Appointment s

Rodney Cecil, who ha.s just completed special work at Iowa State Univer-
sity leading to ama,ster’s degree, has been appointed Junior Entomologist at
the Birmingham laboratory to assist Mr. Ho-ward in the Mexican bean beetle
investigati ons.

T, E- Bronson has been given temporary appointment as Field Assistant to
assist J. E. Dudley in the pea aphis investigations during the summer.

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Resignations

Alfred Latlcen, Agent, stationed a,t Picayane, Miss,, ha.s resigned to
undertake special vrork in the Havyaiian Islands.

BEE CULT'uRE IljVESTIGATIONS
E. F„ Phillips, Apiculturist in Charge

E. E. Phillips, rho has had charge of the Bee Culture work of the
Bureau since 1507, and who entered the Bureau in I905, will leave the service
some time during- the late summer to accept a professorship in Apiculture in
the College of Agriculture, Cornell University. He will devote his time there
chiefly to graduate students and to research work in apiculture.

Bruce Linehurg and L. M. Bertholf, who were employed at the Bee-Culture
Laboratory last summer, have been reappointed for the present summer and have
begun work. Mr. Lineburg lidll receive the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
at the Johns Hopkins University this month..

Carlton Burnside, a graduate student at the University of Michigan, has
been appointed for the summer season to investigate the fungi of the alimentary
tract of the adult bee. He is taking graduate work in mycology at the
university*

R, B, Uillson, “ho has been doing extension work in beekeeping in
cooperation between this office and the College of Agriculture, Cornell Univer-
sity, will continue that v/ork under the administration of the university after
July 1. C- L. Sams, who has been doing sim.ilar cooperative work in North
Carolina, will also be continued after that date without support from this
office. The cooperative extension work in Uisconsin will not be continued
after July 1. Uith these changes, all cooperative extension work in beekeeping
from this office is discontinued.

A. P. Sturtevant left May 29 for Uyoming, where he will investigate
what appears to be a serious outbreak of sacbrood, a. disease of the brood of
bees. He will probably reto.rn before the end of June,

E. E, Phillips and Jas . I, Hambleton attended the meeting of the
Maryland Beekeepers’ Associa.tion at College Park, Maryland, on May 3I-

SOUTHERH EIELD-CROP INSECT INVESTIGATIONS

J. L. T/ebb,. Entomologist Acting in Charge

J. C. Hamlin, formerly eirployed by the Federal Horticultural Board,
and more recently in charge of the entomological work for the Commonwealth

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prickly Pear Poard of Aastralia, was reinbfaied in the Department on I.fey 2,
and assigned to duty at the Poll T^eevil Laooratory at Te.ll.alah, la.-, Mr.

Hamlin is to give attention to the cheniotropic responses of the holl Vveevil,

B. E. Goad and T» P. Casshv/ were :n T/ashington for a few days early in
May in connection with toll weeril v:ork.

Dr, P.A. Penton, recently appointed and assigned to biological work
on the boll weevil at Plorence, S- C,, was ‘in T/asliington May 3 5 consal-

tation with the Chief of the Bareaa,

Alan P. Dodd., who has been sent from Australia to take ap the work
on cactus insects recently reli'aouished by J. C. Hamlin, had. a conference with
the latter and Dr. VJ. D„ Hunter at lallD.lah, La,, on Ma.y 20. He visited
\^ashington later.

The March issne of the Amex'ic.an Journa.1 of Tropical Medicine (Vol, IV, No,
2) contains an article by C-eo. H. Bra.dlsy cf the Mound, La., laboratory, entitled
''The natural breeding places of Ariopheles mosQultoes in the vicinity of Mound,
Louisiana.”

L* P. Greer was appointed Temporary Pield Assistant at the Boll Y/eevil
Labor?,tory, effective May Ip.

P, Sa Chamberlin reports that in spite of a heavy infestation of tobacco
budworms in the south Georgia flue-cured tobacco region excellent control is
being obtained where growers are usir.g the poison mixture devised by the Bureau
of Entomology, The nixture consists of 1 part by wedght of arsenate of lead
to 75 parts corn mecH, Ti/eekly applications appes.r to be sufficient for con-
trol of this type of tobacco.

FOESST INLEGT INVESTIGATIONS

P. C, Cradghead, Entomologist in Charge

Dr. Craighead:, spent several days duvirtg May in the vicinity of Asheville,
N* C., examining southern pine beetle outbreaks and control vrork conducted
during the previous winter,

A. H. MacAndrews has been appointed temporary field assistant aril will
be stationed near Ashevi3.1e for the summer m.cnths. He vdll conduct certain
investigations on the life history of the principal pine insects in this region.
Part of his work is to be associated with that of the Appalachian Forest
Experiment Station.

Dr. E- Snyder, in cooperation with the metallurgical laboratory of
the Bureau of Standards, UnitetL States Departmenb of Coriimerce, is conducting
tests T,7ith various metals and alloys sprayed on wood, aiid lead to protect these
substances against the attacks cf termites and powder-post beetles. Control

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materials are sprayed vatli softer metals viiich have already "been penetrated
by the insects. Several alloys appear to he promising, hat some metals have
failed on account of rapid oxidation,

J. Zetek, of the Division of Tropical Fruit Insects, and Dr^*. Snyder,
od this office, have heen vrarking since February on a manuscript on the
biology and control of the termites of the Canal Zone and near-by Panama.

The paper mil be vzell illustrated, and mil urge the economic importance
of these very abundant insects, advocating and describing effective measures
for control. In the Canal Zone are 35 knorm species of termites, representing
22 genera or subgenera, A map v/ill show their distribution.

J. M, Miller spent the period from May 19 "to May 23 on the Snake Lal-ce
light burning experimental area in company with Mr. Shovr, of the Forest Service.
This experiment was undertaken in the Plumas National Forest in 1919 to test
out the results of periodically burning the ground cover in a selected forest
of 200 acres. One of the most important results to date has been the concen-
tration of barkbeetles on the area following the fire. The number of trees
killed by the insects considerably exceeds the number of those killed by the
fife, but in this case the liglit damage by fire appears to have been a factor
in attracting barkbeetles to the trees. The study of the interrelation of
insects and fires is being ca.rried on cooperatively' with the Forest Service in
District 5-

H. L. Person and Albert Nagner have just completed a survey of the
cutover areas on the Sierra National Forest, to determine the extent to
which insect losses are affecting the second crop of timber.

During the first part of May a preliminary examination of the proposed
forest insect control project in the Missoula National Forest was made by
J. C. Evenden and Elers Koch, Assistant District Forester, District 1. This
project calls for a line of defense against the heavy epidemic of the mountain
pine beetle, which threatens the valuable lodgepole pine stands of the Deer-
lodge and southern Missoula National Forests, At the present time H. J. Rust,
Entomological Ranger of this station, is marking the trees that are to be
treated, and it is expected that control work will be started by May 22.

Mr. Evenden left Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on the 20th of May for the
experimental control project on the Coeur d'Alene National Forest. Mr. Evenden
was accompanied by Mr. Mooney, of the Coeur d'Alene Forestry Office, irho v.'ill
have charge of the administrative '7ork of the project. Several days will
be spent in marking the tress prior to the arrival of the crew. The very
early and dry spring which this region has experienced has made it necessary
to start this project some ten days earlier than was planned, because of the
advanced development of the insect broods.

J. E. Patterson and P. D. Sergent , of the Ashland Field Station, are
cruising the timbered zones adjacent to the Greenspring road slash in southern
Oregon. This slash study was started in 1920 and will be completed the present
season. It consists of the analysis of the attack and infestation of Dendroc tonus

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~brevicomis in yellow pine trees slashed on the right of way of the highway
and of a study of resulting conditions in the standing timber adjacent to and
within 3 miles of the sla-sh, A slashed strip 1 chain vade and 40 miles long
is involved in this study* This strip passes through a primitive stand of
pine timber typical in every way of the forested areas of the southern Oregon-
northern California region, so that the results of this study should be
applicable to the region in general.

During the past month, Dr. H. E, Burke has continued his investigation
of the Monterey pine sawfly. T/hile the investigation was in progress the
insects emerged and deposited eggs which are now hatching. An unsuccessful
attempt was made to fumigate the earth where these insects were overwintering
in the larval stage, using paradi chlorobenzene. It is possible that during
the winter the temperatures were too low to volatilize the fumigant,

R. A. St. George has just left for an extended trip through the South. He
will visit several large lumber companies which are conducting cooperative
experiments on the prevention of insect injury to crude forest products. One
or two large-scale- tests of chemicals for the prevention of insect attack will
be tried out.

About ’500 white, red,, and yellow pine and Douglas fir seedlings have
recently been planted at the Eastern Eield Station, East Falls Church, Va,

These seedlings were received through the courtesy of the Forest Service and
are to be used for experimental purposes, particularly for the feeding of
defoliating insects*

CEREAL AND FORAGE IHSECTS IF/ESTIGATIOHS
G. A. Dean, Entomologist in Charge

Prof, Geo. A. Dean and S-. Walton visited Brooklyn, H. Y,, May 22, to
inspect the corn borer clean-up work in progress there,

E, E, Russell, formerly located at Gainesville, Tex., assisting in the
greenbug and grasshopper investigations under direction of C. H. Gable, has
been transferred to Yuma, Ariz,, where he will initiate an investigation of
the alfalfa seed chalcis under the direction of V. L- Wildermuth, This work
is being started at the request of the producers of Peruvian alfalfa seed
in the Yuma valley, whose industry is threatened by the inroads of the seed
chalcis,

E. J. Udine, a senior student at the Montana Agricultural College, has
accepted an appointment for the summer as Assistant in the grasshopper
investigation under the direction of Stewart Lockwood, Billings,, Mont,

John U. Huttycombe has accepted a temporary appointment as Assistant to
U. J. Phillips in the jointworm investigation in progress at Charlottesville, Va.
Mr. Huttycombe is a senior student at the Virginia polytechnic Institute,

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MISCELLMBOUS IF\/ESTIGATIONS

(items from the National Museum contrihuted by S. A. Rohwer)

S. A. RohTrer left Washington on May 2S for the purpose of investigating
the practicability of introducing parasites into the forestry plantation at
Halsey, Nebr., as a check on the ravages of the pine tip moth, Evetria
bushnelli » This moth is causing severe damage to the pines on the reforestation
project there, Mr, Iloh\7er vrill be absent for a month, or possibly more.

On May 5 R* 0. Shannon, at the request of James Ricker and vath the
permission of the Bureau of Entomology, verxt to Poland Springs, Me,, nhere
he spent ten days investigating the mosquito situation of the Poland Springs
estate. The North Woods Aedr?s species were found to be very abundant in the
temporary pools and small ponds about the place* Control measures were imme-
diately started. Investigations of other insects were made at the same time.

On his way back Mr, Shannon stopped off to see the collections of Diptera at
Cambridge and Boston,

At the invitation of Samuel Henshaw and Nathan Banks, of the Cambridge
Museum of Comparative Zoology, and Profs. W. M. Wheeler and C, T. Brues, of
Bussey Institute, Dr, E. A- Schwarz, accompanied by R. C. Shannon, went for
several days to Cambridge and Boston. At the Cambridge Museum Dr. Schwarz
made an examination of the Coleoptera collections of Le Conte, Melsheimer,
Ziegler, and others, and helped Mr. Banks elucidate a number of tangles existing
among the various labels on the specimens, and clear up other points relating
to type specimens, Mr, Shannon studied the types in the Osten Sacken-Loew
collection. The Entomological Society of Cambridge had a special meeting,
a smoker, in honor of Dr. Schwarz, Here he met a number of his old friends and
many new entomologists who are now members of this club. C. W. Collins took
Dr. Schwarz for a visit to the Gipsy Moth Laboratory at Melrose Hi^lands,
where he met the personnel and was showm the different phases of their work.

(

Dr. J. M. Aldrich left on May 3I for a two months* trip throu^ the
West. He will visit Kansas City and Atherton, Mo,, San Francisco, Berkeley,
and Redlands, Calif,, Portland, Oreg., Pullman and Seattle, Wash,, and other
points, where he expects to do some collecting and consult with various
specialists. He will also spend several weeks visiting relatives and friends.

LIBRARY

Mabel Colcord, Librarian
New Books

Atkins, E. W. and Hawkins, K. 1 nc ■ n

How to succeed withb-ees... Madison, Wis., 1924. 3b p., li us.

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Brumpt, E.

Un voyage medical, dans l*Agriqae da Sad. Paris, Masson et cie, editears,
1923. lOil- p., illas,

Deatsche Gessellschaf t f(ir angewandte Entoraologie.

Verhandlangen 2 ... za Mlinchen, vom 24 Bis 26 SeptemBer, I9IS. Berlin,
VerlagsBachhandlong Paal Parey, 1919« 206 p.; illas.

Perris, G. P.

ContriBations toi/7ard a monograph of the sacking Irce, Pt. 4. Stanford
Univ,, Cal, PaBlished By the Univ., 1923- P* I83-27O., illas. (Stanford
Univ, Biol. Sci, v. 2, no, 4,)

Ploericke, K, E,

PalterleBen.. . Stattgart, Kosmos, 1923- 77 P-> illas.

Pries, A. A. and West, C. J.

Chemical warfare. E. Y., McGraw-Hill Book company, Inc., I92I. 439 P-»

illas.

Kingston, R. W. G.

A nataralist in Hindastan. London, H. P. & G. WitherBy, 1923* 292 p.,

plates,

Leefmans, S.

De koff ieBessenBoeBoek (Stephanoderes hampei Perrari, coffeae Hagedorn)

II, Batavia, Ruygrok & Co., 1924, 99 P-» pl* (Med. van het Institaat

voor Plantenziekten Eo, 62.)

Melin, Doaglas.

ContriBations to the knowledge of the Biology, metamorphosis and dis-
triBation of the Swedish asilids in relation to the whole family of
asilids. In Zoologiska Bidrag fran Uppsala, Bd. S, I923, p. 1-
31,7, illas. Literatare. List of works referred to in text, p. 309~312,
Peragallo, Alexandre.

Insects naisiBles a 1^ agricaltare 1®^ fasc. L*olivier, son histoire..,
see maladies et ses am.is 2’^® fasc. Le frelon (Vespa craBro) et son nid.

2. ed. Eice, 1882. 180 p., 1 col, plate,

Prell, Heinrich.

Anopheles and die malaria. Berlin, Paal Parey, 1919- ^1 P* (Plagischrif ten

der Deatschen Gesellschaft fiir angewandte Entomologie Er. 9-)

Root, E. R,

Wintering Bees, Medina, 0- The A. I. Root Co., 1923- 72 p., illas.

Smith, Jay.

Q,aeen rearing simplified. , , Medina, 0, The A. I. Root Co,, 1923-
19 p., illas -

Sohon, J. A. and Schaaf, W, L.

A reference list of BiBliographies on chemistry, chemical technology
and chemical engineering, paBlished since 19OO, E. Y. ,

The H* W. Wilson Company, 1924. 100 p.

Tanzer, Ernst' and Osterwald, Hans,

Anopheles and malaria in Halle,.. Leipzig, J. A. Barth, 1919 ■■ p.,

illas. 2 pi, map. (Beihefte zum Archiv flir schiffs-ond tropenhygiene. ..

Bd. 23, Beiheft 2.) Literatarverzeichnis, p- 45-48,

Tillyard, R. J. and Danstan, B,

Mesozoic insects of (^aeensland, Brisbane, A. J. Camming, 1923~ Part I,
Danstan, B. Introdaction and Coleoptera. 88 p., 7 pi* (Queensland
Geol. Sarvey PaB, 273,)