BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. 623 



very nearly covers the range of the brown-tail moth. Another one, 

 Avanteles lacteicolor^ has been recovered from more than four times 

 the area in which it was recorded last year, and is showing a satis- 

 factory rate of increase. Still another, Meteoi^s versicolor^ an ex- 

 cellent parasite of the brown-tail moth, has spread more rapidly 

 during the past year than at any time since it was first liberated. 

 The first of the brown-tail moth winter-nest parasites to he found 

 established in this country, and to which frequent reference has been 

 made in these annual reports, namely, Pteroinaliis egreghis^ has also 

 shown a go<id increase and spread over the previous year. 



In the furtherance of the proposed study of European conditions, 

 especially regarding parasite control there, Mr. W. F. Fiske, with 

 two expert assistants, has been located in southern Europe since 

 December, making his headquarters in Italy and traveling through 

 southern Germany, Austria, and France, securing data and ascer- 

 taining the best points in which to make studies and from whicli to 

 send material during the present summer. 



ATTEMPTED IMPORTATION OF INSECT ENEMIES OF THE WHITE FLY. 



The discovery of what is apparently the original home of the white 

 fl}' of the orange in India was announced in the last annual report, 

 and the discovery of certain natural enemies was mentioned. Two 

 of these important enemies, namely, an internal parasite and a preda- 

 oeous lady-beetle, were successfully brought from India to Florida by 

 Mr. R. S. AA'^oghim, of the bureau, and in good numbers, in the 

 autumn of 1911. Apparently, how^ever, they failed to survive the 

 winter. This failure was most unfortunate, and probably can be 

 obviated from the experience now gained in the case of future ship- 

 ments. The winter of 1911-12 was exceptionally severe, and Florida 

 climatic conditions were quite different from those which hold in 

 the original Indian home of the parasites. It is probable that better 

 success will come by importing this material not later than mid- 

 summer rather than in the autumn, or, if an autumn importation is 

 again found necessary, by establishing such conditions in Florida 

 as will be favorable for active breeding during the winter instead 

 of attempting to carry these beneficial insects through a condition 

 of hibernation, as was done with this first sending. It must be 

 frankly said that it is not expected that these beneficial insects will 



Crove a complete remedy for the white fly in Florida or elsewhere, 

 ut there is a jiossibility that they will be useful, and until this possi- 

 bility has been fully demonstrated one way or the other it will prob- 

 ably be worth while, at a favorable time, to repeat the experiment. 

 Definite knowledge of the apparent failure of the experiment was 

 gained too late to make it desirable to send another expedition the 

 present year. 



IMPORTATIONS OF PARASITES OF THE ALFALFA WEEVIL. 



The Italian parasites of the alfalfa weevil sent over in March and 

 April of 1911, referred to in the last annual report, have made 

 little progress. During the spring of 1912 an agent was sent to join 

 the gipsy-moth parasite party in southern Europe, and during the 

 early months of the present year the attention of the gipsy-moth 



