SOME HIGHLIGHTS. OF THE YEAH 



The Airborne Hitchhiker. On April 6 a live adult of Melolontha 

 melolontha (L. ) was intercepted at New York in a plane arriving 

 frora France. This chafer, which has never been established in 

 North America, is destructive in both its larval and adult forms 

 and in Europe attacks more than 60 different fruits, vegetables, 

 field crops, o r n am e nt a I plants and trees. Within five days ten 

 more interceptions were made and crew members arriving from 

 Paris reported that the beetle was literally swarming around Orly 

 Airport there. Arrangements were immediately made for an aerosol 

 disinsectization treatment for all planes arriving from Orly. Divi- 

 sion representatives in We stern Europe were promptly notified and 

 made arrangements for the disinsectization o f flights prior to 

 departure from Paris. A total of 38 inf e s t e d planes were found 

 between April 6 and April 25 at Anchorage, Boston, Bradley Field 

 (Connecticut), Chicago, and McGuire Air Force Base (New Jersey). 

 Plane treatments were discontinued on May 1, the beetle flight 

 season having ended. 



Facilitation of Travel and Commerce. In furtherance of the policy 

 of t h e Division to impose a minimum of impediment to foreign 

 travel and commerce, consistent with proper precaution against 

 plant pest dissemination, the Division actively participated in the 

 following measures to that end: 



• Establishment of Interagency Group on International 

 Aviation (IGIA). This new interagency group, for the 

 development of recommendations to the Secretary of 

 State, consists of the Administrator of FAA and repre- 

 sentatives of the Departments of State, Defense, and 

 Commerce, and the Civil Aeronautics Board. A staff 

 member of the Plant Quarantine Division w^as desig- 

 nated to represent the Department of Agriculture for 

 participation on an ad hoc basis. 



• Water Transportation Facilitation Committee. This 

 newly form^pd interagency committee provides for 

 coordination on the national level and will make appro- 

 priate recommendations to the State Department as 

 to the U. S. position for international consideration. 

 A staff member of the Plant Quarantine Division w^as 

 named as the Department's representative on this 

 committee. 



• Pest Identifiers at Ports of Entry. To facilitate the 

 handling of infested commodities and carriers, the 

 Division has designated fourteen specifically trained 

 port inspectors as pest identifiers within the field of 

 their specialization and familiarity. The fields in- 

 clude entomology, phytopathology, malacology, 

 nematology, and acarology. 



- 4 - 



