﻿THE PINK BOLLWOEM 3 



Avitli the general experience with imported plants in relation to 

 native plant pests, and with introduced pests in respect to native 

 plants. The American variety was apparently unresistant in com- 

 parison with the native cottons of India, which, with little doubt, 

 had been long associated with this pest and had developed a certain 

 degree 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 confirmed also its occurrence eastward through Burma, 

 Siam, and the Philippines, long previous to what was undoubtedly 

 its original entry into Egypt in 1906-7. 



The insect was first observed in Egypt in 1911, and the first 

 severely infested field, one near Alexandria, was noted in 1912. The 

 increase of the damage from this insect in Egypt has been steady 

 since 1912, in spite of very laborious and expensive control operations 

 enforced by the Egyptian Government. 



The present distribution of the pink bollworm is therefore reason- 

 ably traceable to its spread from southern Asia in comparatively 

 recent years. The possible exception may be found in German East 

 Africa, and even there the natural explanation of its occurrence is 

 its recent introduction with cotton imported from India. It is, 

 however, possible that the natural range of the insect may have 

 included central Africa and that the African infestation may there- 

 fore have come from native stock. 



PRESENT RANGE 



With the exception of certain infestations in Texas and New 

 Mexico, the known range of the pink bollworm is as follows : 



East Africa, west Africa, Egypt, Angola, Italian Somaliland, 

 Xigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Zanzibar, India (very generally), 

 Bengal, Ceylon, Burma, Siam, Straits Settlements, China, Korea, 

 Philippines (Luzon), Hawaii, Brazil, West Indies (St. Croix, St. 

 Kitts, Anguilla, Monserrat, Porto E-ico, Santo Domingo, Haiti, 

 St. Vincent), Mexico, and Australia. There is also a record from 

 Japan, although it may be erroneous. At any rate, according to a 

 statement published by Fullaway (5), it is not confirmed by Pro- 

 fessor Kuwana, Government entomologist. Another doubtful record 

 is from Mesopotamia.^ 



The introduction of the pink bollworm into Brazil and Mexico is 

 recent, and available records show very clearly how it was accom- 

 plished. The information fi'om Brazil comes through Edwai-d C. 

 Green, formerly suiK'rintendent of the cotton department of the 

 Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, who has published a very full 

 st.ttenK'nt on the subject {11)- In 1913 Green made a trip of 

 inspection through the greater portion of tlie cotton-producing area 

 in Brazil. Special attention was paid to the seed, not only in the 

 fields but in the ginneries, and no infestation was found. In 1916, 

 iiowever, another trip showed tliat (he pink bollworm was present 

 over wide areas in the States of Piirahvba, Rio Grande del Norte, 

 and Ceara. It seems that in the years 1911, 1912, an<l 1913, the 



'For a compl»'tf Htatfimcnt fonr"rnlnt; fix- dlHtrlbiitlon of Iho pink bollworm, with cl- 

 tHtloriH. MHt th<- H<-«'on(l Anniiiil IJcport of IIm' ICRyptlnn Cotton UcHcnrcli IJoiinl, 1021, pp. 



1. ■;<;-). 17. 



