Halterophora Capitata

Halterophora Capitata

In an orange grove near Orlando, Fla., last month, a U. S. Department of Agriculture employe cut open an orange, prepared to sink his teeth into it, halted at a horrid sight--maggots! He fairly ran to a laboratory where, under a microscope, he made a terrible discovery: the grubs were larvae of Halterophora capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly), most vicious and destructive of dipterous pests, never before found in the U. S. Out went the alarm over Florida. Inspection showed that the infestation had spread through three counties --Seminole, Orange and Lake American Legionaries volunteered as fruit inspectors.

In Washington, President Hoover described the appearance of Halterophora capitata as "a grave emergency." He called upon Congress to authorize the transfer, from the Department of Agriculture's boll weevil fund, of $4,250,000 to fight the Florida fly. The House complied promptly, last week. The Senate took its time.