August, '21j CARMAN: EUROPEAN RED MITE 355 



Insects in Soil 



During the past year, several shipments of plants arrived containing 

 soil about the roots in violation of Quarantine 37 which provides that 

 such plants shall be "free from sand, soil, or earth." Four such ship- 

 ments were found to contain injurious insects. Larvae of a species 

 of Agriotes were contained in soil surrounding the roots of a Sunstar 

 rose from Ireland, and what appears to be an injurious curculionid lar- 

 va was found in soil around a Japanese iris from France and soil around 

 Stilbe roots from Holland. Evergreen shrubs from Holland were 

 foimd to contain the European Earwig (Forficula auricularia L.), and 

 herbaceous ornamental plants from the same country contained in 

 the soil surrounding the roots, Otiorhyncus sulcatus Fab. 



Perhaps the most important soil interception was the finding of Leu- 

 coiermes tenuis Hagen in soil around plants arriving from Brazil. This 

 termite is considered the most destructive species in the world, and has 

 been found in Santo Domingo, the Bahama Islands and Brazil. It is 

 reported that this termite was introduced into the island of Saint Hel- 

 eila and was so destructive at Jamestown, the capitol, that new build- 

 ings had to be erected. 



THE EUROPEAN RED MITE {Paratetranyclnis pilosus Can. & 

 Fanz.) IN CONNECTICUT 



By Philip Garman, Ph.D. 



A mite which seems to be P. pilosus Can. & Fanz. appeared last sum- 

 mer in destructive numbers in Connecticut orchards. It was noticed 

 on leaves brought from the field at Milford April 25, by M. P. Zappe, 

 but the first signs of injury were noted by Doctor Britton at Milford 

 about July 2. At this time several trees in an orchard showed a pre 

 mature rusty appearance, and the leaves were found to be inhabited 

 by many mites. Later a much larger orchard was reported to be in- 

 fested, and during the summer it was found ir four additional localities. 



Difference From Other Economic Species 



As the name above suggests, the mite is usually red in color, thus 

 contrasting with the ordinary T. bimaculatus which is more often green- 

 ish or yellowish. The setae of the dorsum are large, arise from tuber- 



