In Florida, estimates place the annual damage to citrus by rust 
mites, scale insects, mealybugs, and whiteflies at $2h,119,000, or 
1h percent of the value of the crop, 6 percent of which is due to 
the rust mite. Similar losses occur in other eastern Gulf Coast. 
States. 
The Mexican fruit fly was first found about 1903 near Brownsville, 
Tex., and in 1927 infestations were disccvered in the Lower Rio 
Grande Valley. It is of econcmic importance to the United States 
because of its habit of annually migrating across the border into 
the citrus of southeastern Texas. The Mexicar fruit fly originally 
fed on a nonedible fruit netive to northeastern Mexico, but with 
the introduction of citrus, mangoes, and several deciduous fruits 
adapted itseif to them. It is now a pest of grapefruit, oranges, 
mangoes, peaches, apples, pears, and quinces. The flies deposit 
eggs in mature fruit, which the larvae feed on and destroy. At 
present, the pest. is confined in the United States to eight counties 
in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Loss to the citrus crop on the 
infested properties under quarantine is about 10 percent. 
Figs (Dried) 
The dried-fruit beetle and associated species are pests of figs 
in California, entering the fruit when it is approaching maturity 
on the tree. ‘here is no known satisfactory method of control. 
Besides the direct effect of the infestation, these insects are the 
means of introducing numereus microorganisms that cause spoilage. 
Infested figs cannot be marketed for human consumption, but are 
disposed of for stock feed. Representatives of the fig industry 
place losses due to these beetles at 25 percent of the value of the 
erop. This would be an annual loss of about $1,500,000. 
Japanese Beetle 
The Japanese heetle has been observed feeding on more than 200 
different farm, field, and fruit crops, ornamentals, and shade trees, 
eating only the foliage of some and the foliage, flowers, and fruit 
ef others. Where infestation is light the damage may not be serious, 
but when beetles are numerous all leaf tissue on the favored plants 
may be consumd, and the fruit may be completely destroyed, made 
umnarke table, or reduced in value. In addition, the grubs feed on 
roots, causing sevars turf damage in heavily infested sections. 
Ths beatle probably gained access to this country in soil with 
plants prior to import restrictions of 1912. It was first found 
in 1916 near a nursery in Riverton, N. J. It is now generally 
distributed in all or parts of 15 eastern States from Massachusetts 
to North Carolina. Small numbers occur in scattered locations in 
other States as far west as the Mississippi Valley, and the pest 
-is a potential threat to the remainder of the United States, 
The damage to crops, residential and public plantings, and golf. 
courses in the Eastern States is believed to be in excess of 
as ee 
