BUREAU OF PLANT QUARANTINE 23 
•earlier in the season, and after ginning began the inspection work was confined 
to the examination of gin trash. One gin was sufficient to take care of the 
acreage planted, and as a result there was not sufficient trash available to justify 
the operation of a machine. Therefore, the inspection of such trash was all 
done by hand, and it was possible to inspect practically all the trash produced. 
No specimens of either the Thurberia weevil or the pink bollworm were found in 
the gin trash. On January 13, 1933, specimens of the Thurberia weevil were 
found while a field near Marana was being inspected. Later, inspections in 
this same field resulted in the finding of additional specimens, a total of 65 being 
found during the period January 13 to 25. The inspection of all other fields in 
the area was negative. A supply of bollies was collected and is now being in- 
spected, no additional specimens having been found in any of the material 
examined to date. Specimens were found in two fields near Eloy, in Pinal 
County, last season. Intensive inspections in this area during the present season 
have all been negative. 
The same safeguards used in controlling the pink bollworm are also used 
against the Thurberia weevil. These include the disposal of gin trash, steriliza- 
tion of seed, compression and vacuum fumigation of lint, and clean-up of gins, 
oil mills, etc., at the close of the season's operations. The results of each of the 
-above activities are included in the figures given for the pink bollworm. 
MEXICAN FRUIT FLY 
INFESTATIONS IN TEXAS 
The most important development in the Mexican fruit fly eradication program 
In the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas was the remarkable decrease in the 
number of fruit flies taken during the fiscal year, following the intensive sup- 
pressive measures carried out the previous season. A total of 2,396 speci- 
mens of fruit flies had been taken from 61 groves during the winter and spring of 
1932. Despite the intensive inspections carried on during the past season, 
no larvae could be found in valley fruit and only six adult flies were caught 
in the traps. Of these, 3 were taken in January and 1 each in March, 
April, and May. Four of these adults were trapped in Hidalgo and two in 
Cameron County. None was taken in Willacy County. Only one of these 
groves, that of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Weslaco, was found 
infested in the fiscal year 1932. 
A number of factors contributed to this decrease in the fly population of the 
valley. The bearing trees of the quarantined counties were sprayed in July 
1932 and again in August with a nicotine-molasses spray. The thorough cleaning 
of all groves at the opening of the host-free period was undoubtedly effective in 
reducing the Dumber of flies in the orchards. The temperature from September 
through December»was about 5° F. lower than during the same period of 1932, 
and this probably aided in retarding to some extent the development of the 
various stages of the fly. The price of fruit was considerably better than during 
the preceding year, resulting in much of the crop being harvested early in the 
season. This, together with the short crop produced, materially reduced the 
amount of cull or dropped fruit in groves and made possible the maintenance of 
very effective grove sanitation, thus reducing to a minimum the possibilities of 
increase from any flies which might have survived the host-free period and 
spraying operations. 
OTHER ANASTREPHA 
The operation of traps resulted in the recovery during the year of a number 
of other species of the fruit-fly genus Anastrepha on the IV\.i- Bide of the Rio 
Grande, including 97 .1. pattens, 2 A. fraterculus, and 1 .1. serpentina, in addition 
to the 6 A. ludens. The details are shown in tabic 8. 
The taking of the Anastrepha serpentina was of considerable interesl sinc< 
far as is known, this was the first specimen of this species of fruit fly ever found 
in continental United States. The two specimens of A. /rate rail us were collected 
in the Harlingen and Weslaco districts. One adult of this species had previously 
been trapped in the spring of 1932 in the Donna district. No explanation is 
available to account for the presence of these species in valley groves. 
Ana8trepha pattens, which is not known to attack commercial fruit, was found 
in fewer numbers, both in the citrus groves and in Burm Ha angustifolia, the native 
host plant, than in the fiscal year 19 
