GG ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1953 
tions of these testa are considered too toxic to honey bees to be used on 
fields of blooming alfalfa. 
MelUsode* Is Valuable Cotton Flower Pollinator 
J/< lissodea sp., one of the solitary flower-visiting bees, was found 
to be the mos( abundant insect visitor on cotton flowers, in work clone 
in Arizona in cooperation with that State's Agricultural Experiment 
Station. This bee is highly valuable as a pollinator of this plant and 
should be given as much protection as possible. It was found nesting 
in the cotton fields. Tunnels to its nest were usually of dried leaves 
located on the ridges in the irrigated lields above the high-water mark. 
FOREIGN PARASITE INTRODUCTIONS 
In Europe, the Mediterranean region, and India Bureau personnel 
continued to collect, rear, and ship to the United States the natural 
enemies of insects and weeds that are destructive agricultural pests 
here. Headquarters for the work in Europe and the Mediterranean 
region art' in France, with temporary subheadquarters in Spain. 
Temporary headquarters in India are near New Delhi. Investigations 
during the year included, among others, the following activities: 
Sweetclover weevil. — A total of 3.394 cocoons and 927 adults of 
three species of parasites were collected and reared in France. These 
were shipped to North Dakota and to Belleville, Canada, for liberation 
in fields infested with sweetclover weevil. 
European corn borer. — Work on a limited scale with this pest was 
continued in Fiance and Italy. Some 6,500 cocoons of two species 
of parasites and 46,000 corn borer larvae containing parasites of an- 
other species were collected, reared, arid shipped to the parasite- 
receiving station at Moorestown. X. J., for dispatching to corn borer- 
infested areas. 
Knro/ivan chafer. — From May to August L952, a total of 8,301 
reared puparia and 490 gravid females of two species of parasites of 
tin- beetle were 1 shipped from France to Moorestown for rearing and 
colonization in areas of New York infested with the European chafer. 
Omnivorous !<"i tier, — Further investigations on the parasites of 
thifl pest were carried on. During the 1952 season 1 ,T> 1 7 cocoons and 
adult- representing six species of parasites were collected and reared 
in France. These were shipped to the parasite-rearing station at 
Albany. Calif., for forwarding to Oregon and colonization in infested 
areas t here. 
QoTa t04 ' '"//.v. — A large number of adult gorse weevil- were collected 
in France and sent to Albany. Calif., fur observation and rearing 
under quarantine condition-. It is planned to Liberate progeny of 
these weevils in fields infested with weed gone in California. 
B et leaf hopper. — Investigations of the natural enemies of leaf- 
hoppers of the genus Circidifer in Spain were started in April 1952. 
A Burvey was made in L6 provinces in central and southern Spain 
to determine leafhopper presence and abundance. From about the 
middle of July to early in November, l l shipments <»f leafhopper 
materia] were -cm to Albany for rearing v^is parasites for coloni- 
sation againsl the beet leafhopper. 
Pink oollworm, — I nvesl igai ions of the nat ural enemies of this bisect 
were Started in India the latter pail of dune r.*.vj. The first 
