128 
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
[Vol. 11 
No less than 73 distinct species of insects have been collected on 
orchids during the past calendar year, 64 of which were of South Amer¬ 
ican origin. Of this number, there were 20 species of ants, the ma¬ 
jority of which are now established in this country. However, there 
are certain forms which have not gained a wide distribution, and every 
effort should be made to prevent their further introduction and spread. 
For example, Pheidole anastasii Emery, which was in Phormium tenax 
from the Azores, has in recent years become a very troublesome pest 
in the greenhouses of the Department of Agriculture, harboring and 
transferring mealy-bugs and aphids from plant to plant. The so-called 
“crazy ant 7 ’ ( Prenolepis longicornis Latr.), an introduced species, has 
also been intercepted on incoming nursery stock. This ant has ac¬ 
quired a foothold in the Gulf States and is a household pest as far 
north as Boston. A species of Iridomyrmex was found in a shipment 
of Theobroma cacao from Java and, if allowed to become established 
in the United States, would eventually be a very troublesome pest, if 
one is to judge from the activities of the Argentine ant. 
In addition to the ants, what appears to be an injurious Pyralid 
larva was collected in four shipments of Colombian orchids. The 
Cattleya midge ( Parallelodiplosis cattleyac Felt) was collected in orchids 
from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico, and 15 species of 
scale insects were taken on shipments from Panama, Guatemala, New 
Zealand, Colombia, Philippine Islands, Costa Rica, England, Jamaica, 
Venezuela,, and Brazil. Since 1912 137 species of insects have been 
collected entering on these plants, including 41 scale insects, only 
13 of which are now established in this country. In an effort to pre¬ 
vent the further introduction of these pests, all orchids arriving from 
countries without a recognized inspection service are being fumigated 
at the port of entry. 
The following list indicates, by countries, the number of species of 
insects reported by state and federal inspectors from December 16, 
1916, to December 16, 1917: 
Number of Species of Insects Collected by State and Federal Inspectors, 
and Reported from December 16, 1916, to Date 
(Prepared from reports received to December 16, 1917) 
Guatemala. 48 
Colombia. 47 
Holland. 40 
Cuba. 36 
China. 33 
Japan. 29 
France. 28 
Brazil. 27 
Belgium. 24 
England. 21 
India. 14 
Venezuela. 14 
Argentina. 11 
Philippine Islands. 11 
Hawaii. 10 
Australia. 9 
Curacao, D. W. 1. 9 
Trinidad. 9 
