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JAPANESE BEETLE AND ASIATIC BEETLE RESEARCH 
Continued quantitative surveys of larvae and other soil—-inhabit— 
ing stages of the Japanese beetle were conducted throughout the month, 
Many of them being made in localities not previously examined. These 
surveys show that larvae are more abundant in areas of short grass in 
rather low-lying ground, such as meadow pastures closely cropped by cattle 
or in well—kept lawns, and golf courses, especially those where the soil 
is of a mellow loamy texture. In other situations, such as areas of tough 
sod, sandy soils, rank weedy fields, and forest undergrowth, they are 
relatively quite infrequent. 
A cooperative experiment has been arranged between the Japanese 
beetle laboratory, Moorestown, N. J., and Swarthmore College, Swarth-— 
more, Pa., to study the effects of dry versus wet applications of lead ar-— 
senate as surface applications in controlling a heavy infestation of 
larvae in lawns and to determine the effect on the grass. Each plot is 
approximately 5 acres in area. A total of 25 acres is under experimenta— 
tion, Mixtures of lead arsenate with and without fertilizers are to 
be applied. 
The survey of the larvae in the campus at Beaver College, Gray 
Towers, Glenside, Pa., has shown that the average number of grubs in the 
lead arsenate-—treated area was 2 to a square foot, while the average for 
the untreated area was 20 to a square foot. The treated grass was dark- 
er and more vigorous than that in the untreated areas. In the vicinity 
of Glenside there was apparently an increase in the larval population 
this spring as compared with the spring of 1950. It is believed that 
the large number of beetles captured in traps and the number of grubs 
poisoned by the lead arsenate have played an important role in decreasing 
the general infestation in the region. 
Two large shipments of adults of Tiphia vernalis Rohwer, totaling 
5,718 females, were received from Yokohama, Japan, during May. All of 
this material arrived at the Moorestown laboratory in excellent condition. 
R. W. Burrell, stationed at Homebush, Australia, in his report 
for the month of May gave an account of a trip to Adelaide to consult 
with Mr. Lea, of the South Australia Museum, regarding the identities of 
beetles worked on during the past summer and to determine possible suit— 
able localities for work next season in South Australia and Tasmania. 
Mr. Lea has collected extensively over all of Australia and was able to 
furnished some useful information. A few days were spent in Melbourne en 
route, where a badly infested golf course was visited and approximately 
200 grubs secured for rearing and possible larval parasitism. In con- 
menting on field collections Mr. Burrell stated that beetles had practi- 
cally disappeared for this season, it then being (June 6) the beginning of 
winter. 
