-449-. 
ASIATIC BEETLE AM ASIATIC GARDEN BEETLE 
"The abundance of the Asiatic beetle ( Anomala o ri en t ali s "fat erh . ) 
and the Asiatic garden beetle ( Aserica castanea. Arrow) has been reduced 
by the drought during the past two surfers. The Asiatic beetle has been 
affected -.lore as it flies very little. In 1930 lawn-turf injury vas re- 
ported at New Haven, Conn., and in Nov- York at White Plains, New Hochelle, 
and Rosyln. Examination of conditions throughout the infested area shows 
that the Asiatic beetle will remain abundant during years- when there is 
a, drought sterner if the soil is not so porous that all traces of moisture 
disappear. The extensive application of lead arsenate to lawns during 
the period fro- 1926 to 1930 has also helped to check the Asiatic beetle 
at many localities. The dense infestations of the Asiatic garden beetle 
have been reduced so that plant injury in 1930 was about one-third as 
great as in 1928. A large part of this reduction of dense infestations 
■nay be credited to the drought, but some is due to a migration. As a 
result, a much larger area, has an abundant infestation than at any ear- 
lier period, and more extensive economic injury can be expected unless 
some checking factor holds down the abundance of the Asia-tic garden beetle. 
In 1930 injury of a new type by grubs of the Asiatic beetle and the Asiatic 
garden beetle occured in New York. They were found feeding in gardens upon 
the roots of bean, beet, corn, onion, rhubarb, and strawberry plants. 
They were very destructive to strawberry beds and young vegetables." 1 
SAN JOSE SCALI] 
During the winter months of 1929-30 surveys in several States indi- 
cated that in the Middle Atlantic region and the southern part of the 
East- Central States the San Jose Scale ( As~idiotus merniciosus Comst.) 
seemed to be slightly on the increase while in the northern parts of 
this region winter mortality was high. North of East St. Louis, 111., 
only 2 per cent of the scale survived, The first crawlers were observed 
in Indiana on June 1 and in Washington State on June 10. This insect 
very materially increased in centra.l and southern Illinois, which is 
believed to have been due to the hot summer and mild fall. 
EU30PEAN EED MITE 
Early observations in 1930 indicated that the European red mite 
( Pa.rat et ranychus pi 1 o sus C. & P.) was increasing in abundance in the 
East Central States, particularly in the northern part, but it was decid- 
edly less abundant than usual in the Hew England and Middle Atlantic 
States. This insect was rediscovered in Utah in August, 1929, after a 
lapse of five years since it was last observed, in that State. It has 
also recently become established in central California. The very dry 
weather which prevailed over much of the eastern part of the United States 
during July and August resulted in a decided increase in all red spiders. 
1 H. C. Hallo ck, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. D. A. 
