t 
P. W. 0«an, aoati, Ia9<iCt Idaatificatloa Auguat 2, 1956 
arktl Peraalta Intreductien Soctlon, Beltsville, Hd. 
Edsmrd ' . Baker, Inaect Ideatificatioa ead Parasite latroductioa 
Section, WasiiingtoH, 0, C. 
A report on a trip to Belgian Congo to study plant feeding isites. 
Per a nts^r of yeara tropical spider mites have been found infesting plants in 
Florida and otlunr states along the Calf. Some of the species involved had no 
rec«wrd of being pests, while others had been taken from such crops as cotton in 
Central America, but irithout iaformatioa as to tyi>« of iiijury, if any. Because 
of the infestations In this oomtry, possibly of recent origin, it ves felt that 
a knowledge of the mites In the t ropics might be of help in detesminiag their 
jMtentlala as pests in this country. Lack of funds In our agency and lack of 
interest in outside agencies prevented any such type of survey being aade, when 
the ^portuaity was offered to mctm^sy Br, Soldo Scnsitt of the Smitijsonian 
Institution through the Belgian Congo to collect mites, it was believed that the 
Congo area might give a aite picture which would enable us to understend other 
similar ereas, Likwfise the trip gave an opportunity to visit most of the mite 
workers in Hestera Surope, and to study their collections. I left Washington 
March 26 and returned dtaie 24, Travel eagjensea were paid out of Smithsonian 
Fuads except for stopovers where I studied with tlus acarologists. 
In London I visited with Dr, 0, C. Svans and Mr, g. Browning of the British 
Huseuai (Natural Hlstorji, and tooth of th^ were most cooperatlvo, Severel types 
were studied and arraagffiSMsnts were aade to exchange materiel, Kvsns is 
interested in tha free living mites wid has recently acquired an assistant to 
work on the plant feeding aites of Britain and the colonies, Mr, Browning is la 
charge of the Arachaida section of the Zoological Record. 
In Amsterdam 1 talked with Mr, van fyadhoven at the Zoological Huseus, Me is 
interested in speciatloa in the Bryotoia praetlosa complex, as ar© many other 
wortajrs tim»ughoat the world, lleoause oFTEsf ' 'specif icitiss and reactions to 
controls, this problem is an iaq>orta»t one, tout as yet little has been acccnso 
plistoed. Although Bryotoia praetlosa is an i^ortaat pest around the world, 
very little biologicS[’'''!.r»FofSIIon’''eonc 0 rniag it liw»a been published. In Leiden 
I worked two days with Br. L, van der Hamuea, wiio is mostly interested in soil 
■ites^-oribatids, M® has had more than two thoimend uiq^ublished aite figures of 
Oud^iaas (a prolific Butch aite worker, now deed) photographed and made available 
to anyone vim needs ti 
the world. 
and he,s made the types accessible to workers throughout 
In Brussels much of the time was spent with *r. Schmitt asking arrangements with 
the Park «uttK>rities to visit and collect la the Parks in the Congo, I spent a 
short time with r, dean Coorwaan at ties loyal Museiaa, ha is interested primarily 
in mites associated with beetles. A visit was also made to the Belgian Congo 
Museum in Termrea whore the taxonomists were given names of American workers 
who were working on the same groups. 
