The Citrus Blackfly' in Asia, and the Importation of Its Natural Enemies Into Tropical America
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TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO, 320 August, 1932 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON. D. C. THE CITRUS BLACKFLY' IN ASIA, AND THE IMPORTATION OF ITS NATURAL ENEMIES INTO TROPICAL AMERICA By CURTIS 1*. CLAUSEN, Senior Entomologist, and PAUL A. BEERY, Junior Ento- mologist, Division of Frxiit and Shade Tree Insects, Bureau of Entomology- CONTENTS Page Foreword (by C L. Marlatt).- 1 Potential status of the blackfly in the United Introduction 3 Stales 19 The citrus blackfly 4 Natural enemies of the blackily 19 Distribution 4 Parasites in tropical Asia 20 Status as a citrus pest in the Far East... 7 Predators in tropical Asia 36 Host plants -. - - 8 Native predators in Cuba, JPanama, and Life history and habits 10 Jamaica 45 Mortality factors,.. 11 Fungous diseases 46 Climatic conditions in the infested regions,.. 13 Methods of rearing, shipment, and colo- Relation of meteorological conditions to nization 47 blackily development 16 Summary í6 Comparison with Florida and California. 17 Iviteraturc cited 58 FOREWORD The introduction and establishment of im2)0i'tant Malayan para- sitic and predacious enemies of the blackily in the American Tropics, recorded in this bulletin, is one of the outstanding successes in this rapidly growing field. The eiiort was a cooperative one, supported by Cuba and the United States. The blackily in Cuba has been for juany years a very serious obstacle to the citrus industr}^ and had in adilition a fairly wdde distribution elsewhere in the American Tropics. The interest of the TJnited States was to reduce the risk of entry of this pest into the citrus areas of Florida or other of our subtropical areas, and also as provision for aid in future control ^ Alcurocanthus woylumi Ashby. '^ The authors wish to acknowledge tho many courtesies and the valuable assistance rendered during the course of tlio roreii;n investigations by tlie oificials: of the Departments of Agriculture of the Federated Malay States and of the Dutch East Indies. J. M. Me- Gough has assisted in the colonization work in Cuba since June, 1930 and I). W. Jones, of the Division of Cereal and F'orage Insects, was present in an advisory capacity during the early work upon the imported parasitig during April and May, li)30. James Zetek, in charge of the Bureau of E]ntomology laboratory at Balboa, Canal Zone, rendered valuable assistance in the preparations for the second trip to Malaya and was responsible for the colonization and establishment of Eretmocerus serins Silv. in Panama. S. C. Bruner, of the Estación Experimental Agronómica in Cuba, and J. J. Bowman, of the united States Bureau of Plant Industry, made the citrus canker inspections of the final shipim>nt. Determinations of the species dealt with in this bulletin are by the following special- ists : Chaloidoid Hymenoptera by A. B. Gahan, Coccinellidae by E, A. Chapín, Lepidop- tera by C. Heinrich, and Díptera by J. K. Malloch. 122259—32- 2 TECHNICAL BULLETIN 3 2 0, U. S. DEPT. OF AGEICULTUEE should this pest at any time succeed in establishing itself in the re- gions indicated. As to Cuba, the present indications are that the blackfly problem has been solved. The more important of the in- troduced parasites is now distributed practically throughout the citrus-growing areas of Cuba, and wherever a sufficient time has elapsed, a satisfactory commercial control of the blackfly has re- sulted. This parasite'has also been distributed from Cuba to other points in the West Indies and Central America where the blackfly occurs. It seems desirable, therefore, both for the purpose of record and with the object of giving credit, to indicate the preliminary steps which led to the undertaking of this work. The persons di- rectly concerned with its execution are the authors of this bulletin. With the introduction and spread of the citrus blackfly in Cuba, the desirability was apparent of establishing there and at other points in the West Indies and Central America the controls of this new pest, parasitic or predacious, which might be found in its coun- try of origin, and it was agreed that such efl'ort should be made as soon as opportunity and funds made it ^jossible. The finding by the Italian entomologist, F. Silvestri, of important parasites of the blackfly in Malaya, and his publications on this subject (192tí-27) gave definite information of the existence of such natural controls. These papers, coming to the attention of J. F. Tristan, San Jose, Costa Rica, led him to make inquiry of Professor Siltestri of the possibility of the introduction of such parasites, and the latter in reply wrote him September 29, 1927, indicating that in his belief such introduction into the West Indies and Central America could be easily 'accomplished. Professor Tristan published Silvestri's letter in Costa Rica and presented the desirability of the importation to the agricultural society of that country but without action being taken. In furtherance of such importation, however. Professor Tristan transmitted March 5, 1928, a copy of Silve.stri's letter to M. M. Marsh of the United Fruit Co., who in turn gave it to J. R. Johnston, director of the agricultural research department of that comjjany. Doctor Johnston sent the letter to the Bureau of En- tomology, asking for verification of Professor Silvestri's observa- tions and suggesting the possibility of financial aid from govern- ments and from individuals in interest, including his own company. Subsecjuent correspondence with Doctor Johnston brought out the fact that the United Fruit Co. was not in position to assume the full cost of this work. The biireau was unable to furnish funds to adequately finance the importation, but as a cooperative project the bureau agreed that it should take the lead and that at least it could furnish by transfer a thoroughly experienced specialist to make the necessary studies and undertake the importation of the para- sites, if the travel and incidental costs could be cared for otherwise, and Doctor Johnston was so advised under date of April 3, 1928. The interest of the Government of Cuba in the proposed importa- tion of parasites of the blackfly was apparently initiated in June, 1928, by J. H. Montgomery, quarantine inspector of the State Plant Board of Florida, who was in Cuba and had a conference with the Secretary of Agriculture, Commerce, and Labor of Cuba, Eugenio Molinet, and with Ernesto Sanchez Estrada, Chief of the Bureau of Plant Sanitation. The idea of such importation was received THE CITKUS BLACKFLY IN ASIA d very favorably by these officers of the Cuban Government. Doctor Montgomery reported this conference to the State Plant Board of Florida at its July meeting of that year, and this body indicated that it felt that the undertaking should be handled through the Bureau of Entomology of the United States Department of Agriculture. The following August Doctor Montgomery was in Washington and re- ported his conference with the Cuban authorities to the Bureau of Entomology, and the proposed cooperation in importation of para- sites of the blackfly was immediately taken up with the Cuban Government through the embassy in Washington. It was indicated through the embassy that Cuba, through lack of trained personnel for the technical features of the work, would be glad to have the United States Department of Agriculture undertake the parasite studies in foreign countries and the work of importation and also the handling and establishment if possible of the parasites in Cuba, and this arrangement was made a part of the final agreement. The original idea had been to include also importations of parasites of the white fly, the important citrus pest of Florida, and that Florida should contribute to the cost, and such contribution to the amount of $1,500 to $2,000 was indicated as a possibility in a letter from the plant commissioner, Wilmon Newell, of August 8, 1928. In the workout of the negotiations, however, with Cuba, through the agency of A. C. Baker of the Bureau of Entomology, it seemed wiser to confine the undertaking specifically to importations of parasites of the blackfly. A general memorandum of agreement was there- fore drawn up in Cuba with the assistance of Doctor Baker and Doctor Montgomery, and these documents, dated November 5, were duly signed by Secretary Molinet for the Cuban Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and Labor, and later by Secretary Jardine for the United States Department of Agriculture. To carry out this project the Cuban Government made available $10,000 for the fiscal year 1929 to meet the costs of travel and expenses concerned in the parasite studies in Malaya and the collection and shipment of jmrasites to Cuba via the United States, and this support was con- tinued into 1931. The contributions of the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture altogether practically duplicated this expendi- ture and covered, as already indicated, foreign studies, importation, establishment, and early distribution of the parasites in Cuba and elsewhere in Central America and the West Indies. C. L. MARLATT, Chief of Bureau. INTRODUCTION The citrus blackfly, Aleurocanthus wogluvii Ashby, has become in recent years a major pest of citrus in Cuba and various other islands of the West Indies, in the Bahamas, and in some sections of Central America. Since the first finding of the species in Jamaica in 1913 it has spread rapidly, and its eventual appearance in all of the tropical sections of the New World seems probable. Badly infested leaves wither and drop ofi' as a result of injury caused through ex- traction of the cell saj) by the insects in feeding. Such defoliation weakens the tree, interferes with it.s normal development and fruit- ing, and makes it unsightly.