~5 = 
_ growth, This suggests that a large part of the injury chargea to the insect 
May be due to climatic causes, 
T, C, Barber, stationed at Brownsville, Tex., recently made a trip to 
‘Uvalde, Tex., for conference with J. C. Hamlin of the Australian Prickly Pear 
_ Commission, 
Bs R, H, Van Zwaluwenburg, formerly with this Bureau, has been collecting 
b- parasites of the sugar-cane moth borer near Vera Cruz. Mexico, for release on the 
_ sugar properties at Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, 
y L, L, Benton, W. C, Gideon, J, G, Lewis, G, E. Hawkins, and K. M. Mace 
_ of the boll weevil force resigned during the month, 
| George A, Maloney, of the boll weevil force, visited Washington August 
4 to consult with the Chief of the Bureau, 

TRUCK-CROP INSECT INVESTIGATIONS 
J, E, Graf, Entomologist Acting in Charge 
N. F, Howard recently returned to his headquarters at Birmingham, Ala,, 
after a trip to Kentucky, southern Ohio, and Indiana, While on this journey 
he succeeded in finding the Mexican bean beetle in the four counties of Scioto, 
Pike, Highland, and Adams in Ohio. Mr. Howard has the following to say regard- 
ing this infestation: "The beetle was very hard to find and had undoubtedly 
reached there only a short time previously in most instances. Near Otway in 
Scioto County I found all stages of the beetle and newly emerged adults and 
_ empty pupa cases, indicating that the insect had been there at least five weeks. 
_ At other places it appeared as though it had only been present a very short 
time." The species has also been reported from Russell County in Virginia, 
The summer inspection for the sweet~-potato weevil in Baker County, Fla., 
and Charlton County, Ga., has just been finished and the present findings 
- indicate that very successful progress has been made in this work. More com- 
_ plete results will be obtained during fall inspection, but the weevil has 
apparently been eradicated in the worst danger centers and it is expected that 
no unusual difficulty will be experienced in cleaning up the remaining infes- 
tations. 




5 C. E, Smith reports that considerable injury has been done to corn in 
Louisiana by the belted cucumber beetle, Diabrotica balteata Lec. This insect 
in destroying the silk of the corn ear has retarded pollination, and in some 
fields a large number of poorly developed ears was noted, Similar injury has 
_ previously been noted as being caused by the beetle of the western corn root- 
worm, D, longicornis Say, but this is the first instance where such injury 
has been found to be due to the attack of D,. balteata. P 


ee te ee 
