■ THE PINK BOLL WORM. 3 



The significant thing in the paragraph is the statement that the 

 insect was very destructive to the American cotton and that " native 

 cotton is sometimes affected hy it.'''' The fact that the American cot- 

 ton was much more affected than the native varieties is in accord 

 with the general experience with imported plants in relation to na- 

 tive plant pests, and with introduced pests in respect to native plants. 

 The American variety was apparently unresistant in comparison with 

 the native cottons of India which, with little doubt, had been long 

 associated with this pest, and which have developed a certain amount 

 of resistance. 



The later records of this insect show that it was reported from 

 India on several occasions prior to 1900 or about that period, and 

 those records determined also its occurrence eastward through Burma, 

 Siam, and the Philippines, long prior to what was undoubtedly its 

 original entry into Egypt in 1906-7. 



The insect was first noted in Egypt in 1911, and the first severely 

 infested field, one near Alexandria, was noted in the year following 

 (1912). The increase of the damages from this insect in Egypt has 

 been steady since 1912 and this in spite of very laborious and ex- 

 pensive control operations enforced by the Egyptian Government. 



The present distribution, therefore, of the pink bollworm is reason- 

 ably traceable to spread from Southern Asia in comparatively recent 

 years. The possible exception is German East Africa, and even there 

 the natural explanation of its occurrence is its recent introduction 

 with cotton imported from India, although there is the possibility, 

 already noted, that the natural range of the insect may have included 

 Central Africa and that the African infestation may therefore have 

 come from such native stock. 



PRESENT RANGE. 



With the exception of two infestations in Texas, which it is hoped 

 will be stamped out, the known range of the pink bollworm is as 

 follows: 



East Africa, West Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan, Zanzibar, India 

 (very generally), Bengal, Ceylon, Burma, Straits Settlements, China, 

 Philippines (Luzon), Hawaii, Brazil, and Mexico. There is also a 

 record from Japan, although this may be erroneous. At any rate 

 it is not confirmed by Prof. Kuwana, government entomologist, ac- 

 cording to a statement published by Fullaway (5). The introduc- 

 tion of the pink bollworm into Brazil and Mexico is very recent, and 

 the available records show very clearly how it was accomplished. 

 As these are of special interest at the present time, the particulars 

 will be given. 



The information from Brazil comes through Mr. Edward C Green, 

 superintendent of the Cotton Department of the Ministry of Agricul- 



