Luginbill, P.

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Federal Entomology in Indiana1Philip Luginbill, Sr.Entomology had its inception in Indiana by the Federal Governmentin 1884 when F. M. Webster was appointed as special agent by the Bureauof Entomology of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and stationed atPurdue University where he also acted as consulting entomologist of theAgricultural Experiment Station. While there, he made careful observa-tions on corn insects and how they may be controlled. He was also inter-ested in the Hessian fly, and wrote the first publication of the PurdueAgricultural Experiment Station on this insect. After spending severalyears here he resigned his position to become State Entomologist of Ohio,but soon thereafter he rejoined the Bureau of Entomology as leader ofthe Division of Cereal and Forage Insects with headquarters in Washing-ton, D. C.Webster's interest in Entomology in Indiana continued, and resultedin the establishment of the first federal field laboratory in Indiana atRichmond in 1905 with W. J. Phillips in charge. In 1909, this laboratorywas moved to the Purdue Experiment Station at West Lafayette, Ind.In 1913, a separate building nearby was leased to accommodate the enlarge-ment of the work. Phillips remained in charge until 1913, when he wastransferred to Charlottesville, Va.He was succeeded by J. J. Davis who continued in charge until 1919when he accepted the position of taking charge of the Japanese beetlework at Riverton, N. J. From 1919 to 1925 this laboratory was in chargeof W. H. Larrimer. W. B. Cartwright was temporarily in charge fromAugust, 1925, to August, 1926. During the latter part of this periodC. M. Packard was transferred to this station to take charge of its opera-tions which consisted of studies of the Hessian fly and other cereal andforage insects. Packard was called to Washington in 1937 to take chargeof the Division of Cereal and Forage Insects, and Philip Luginbill wasplaced in charge, which position he held until he retired in 1950. He wassucceeded in charge by W. B. Cartwright, who is in charge at the presenttime. It should be mentioned that since 1932 the Laboratory has beensituated in the Post Office Building at Lafayette, Ind.During the period, 1905 to date, many workers have been connectedwith this station. W. J. Phillips, 1905-1913, in charge; T. H. Parks, 1909;Philip Luginbill, 1910-12, 1933-1950; J. J. Davis, 1911-1919 (in charge1913-1919) ; C. W. Creel, 1911-1912; Henry Fox, 1912-1913; A. F. Satter-thwait, 1913-1916; R. J. Kewley, 1914-1916; D. G. Tower, 1915-1916;F. A. Fenton, 1915-1916; W. H. Larrimer, 1916-1925 excepting duringarmy service from 1917 to 1919 (in charge 1919-1925; J. M. Aldrich, 1917-1918; W. O. Hollister, 1918-1919; R. J. Fiske, 1919-1920; A. L. Ford,1919-1920; C. F. Turner, 1919; F. L. Simanton, 1919-1920; R. A. Blanchard,1. The author wishes to thank the following for providing helpful informationJ. J. Davis, V. E. Fahey, D. W. Hamilton, B. A. Porter, and A. M. Vance.161162 Indiana Academy of Science1920; W. B. Cartwright, 1920-1926, 1938 to date (in charge 1925-1926,1950 to date) ; S. Blum, 1920; H. R. Painter, 1920-1950; G. B. Pearson,1920-1922; W. B. Noble, 1922-1938; Curtis Benton, 1924-1949; C. M.Packard, 1926-1937 (in charge 1926-1937) ; George G. Ainslie, 1929-1930;E. V. Walter, 1936 to date; D. W. LaHue, 1935-1943 (left for militaryservice 1943) ; Robert Gallun, 1952 to date.During this long period of about 50 years many important studies ofcereal and forage insects have been made. Much of these results have beenpublished as articles in journals and bulletins. From 1909 to 1913, underthe direction of W. J. Phillips, the important studies included the wheatjointworm and aphids as well as general cereal and forage insect feeders.From 1911 to 1919, under the direction of J. J. Davis, emphasis was givento the white grub problem, although progress was also made on studies ofseveral species of aphids and the Hessian fly.From 1919 to 1925, under W. H. Larrimer, the Hessian fly was themajor project, although attention was also given to grasshoppers andother clover and grass insects; under the direction of C. M. Packard, theHessian fly continued as the major project, but during the latter part ofhis reign the chinch bug was given much attention. Under the direction ofPhilip Luginbill the chinch bug received a large amount of attention andwhite grub studies were continued. At the present time, Hessian fly studieson resistant wheats are in progress with W. B. Cartwright as ProjectLeader, assisted by Robert Gallun, and corn earworm studies under thedirection of E. V. Walter.For several years the Bureau of Entomology maintained a laboratoryat Plymouth, Ind., for the investigation of truck crop insects. H. K. Larri-more was first in charge of this station. M. R. Smith was connected withthis laboratory in 1917 and 1918, being in charge in 1918. During the lastyear of the existence of this station Smith was assisted by J. M. Craig.Incidental to the economic studies, Smith made a study of the syrphid flyfauna of that area, and published a list of the species encountered atPlymouth.There was a demand for federal assistance in studying deciduous fruitinsects in the central west, and as a consequence, A. L. Quaintance, incharge of deciduous fruit insect investigations of the U. S. Bureau ofEntomology at Washington, established a laboratory at Vincennes, Ind.,in 1923 with B. A. Porter in charge. This was a cooperative laboratory,as the Purdue Experiment Station and the growers in the vicinity con-tributed funds to aid in the work. Investigations which had been carriedon by Purdue since 1921 were turned over to the federal workers. Themain projects the first few years of the laboratory were studies of lubri-cating-oil sprays for the control of the San Jose scale, the cause and controlof peach catfacing, and the use of paradichlorobenzene for peach borercontrol in Southern Indiana. This last chemical proved successful in con-trolling the borer. B. E. Montgomery was employed as a summer assistantin 1924. Much of the work outlined for 1923 was continued. The tarnishedplant bug was shown to be one of the causes of catfacing. J. E. Bussartserved as a summer assistant in 1925, and late in the fall R. F. Sazamawas transferred from Maine to assist in the work at Vincennes.Entomology 163In 1926 and 1927 a crisis developed in the problem of arsenical sprayresidues on apples as a result of the use of lead arsenate for codling mothcontrol. Numerous arsenicals other than lead arsenate were tested, and alimited number of non-arsenicals.In 1928 B. A. Porter was transferred to the Washington office forthe study of deciduous fruit insects. In 1929, W. P. Yetter was appointedto the Vincennes laboratory and assigned to work on the Oriental fruitmoth. He tested numerous insecticides and bait materials against this pest,which had by that time become widespread and destructive throughoutthe area. In 1930 F. H. Lathrop was transferred from Maine, and wasplaced in charge of the general work of the laboratory. Yetter continuedin charge of the Oriental fruit moth work.An appropriation of $150,000 was obtained to carry on large-scaleexperiments to control the Oriental fruit moth with baits. In 1932 thelarge-scale tests were discontinued due to the lightness of infestation andreduction of funds. Mr. Yetter was transferred to Georgia, and Lathropwas transferred to Whittier, Calif., leaving R. F. Sazama temporarily incharge. But in 1934, L. F. Steiner was transferred from Georgia andplaced in charge until 1949 when he was sent to Honolulu, T. H., to studythe Oriental fruit fly.Entomologists on the staff during the time Steiner was in charge wereR. F. Sazama (resigned in 1937) ; A. J. Ackerman, 1934 through 1936(died) ; S. A. Summerland, 1936 through 1953 (retired) ; B. E. Hodgson,Jr., 1937 through 1940, and H. J. McAlister, 1946 through 1952 (trans-ferred). Sub-professional employees on the staff were C. H. Arnold, 1941through 1943 ; and K. W. Lamansky, 1946 to date.During the period when Steiner was in charge of the laboratory,numerous college students worked as summer assistants. Among the well-known in Entomology are J. M. Amos, now with the Virginia AgriculturalExperiment Station, and C. C. Alexander, now with the Geigy AgriculturalChemicals.Codling moth damage to apples was severe in the 1930's. Lead arse-nate was not maintaining control. Besides the laboratory at Vincennes, asub-laboratory was maintained at Orleans, Ind., in 1934 and 1935 withD. W. Hamilton in charge, and S. A. Summerland as an assistant. Theeffect oT light traps and bait traps were evaluated, and information rela-tive to the habits of the codling moth was obtained. During the period1934 to 1943 the number of materials screened and tested at Vincennes forcodling moth control was very large. The first DDT ever applied to appletrees was at Vincennes in 1943. The control obtained was so good it wasastonishing. Large-scale tests with DDT followed, and results obtainedwere almost perfect. However, other problems developed from the use ofDDT. The European red mite population was increasing, and the ladybeetle population was decreasing.In 1949, D. W. Hamilton returned from New York to take charge ofthe laboratory, and is in charge at the present time, being assisted byK. W. Lamansky. A large number of publications have emanated fromthis laboratory during the period of its operation.164 Indiana Academy of ScienceIn June, 1934, the Division of Insecticide Investigations of the Bureauof Chemistry and Soils established a chemical laboratory at Vincennes tocooperate with the Fruit Insect laboratory. Jack E. Fahey was transferredfrom Wenatchee, Wash., to take charge of this work, and he has been incharge of the chemical investigations at Vincennes since that time. H. W.Rusk was transferred to Vincennes to serve as assistant to Mr. Fahey andhas served in that capacity, except for a two-year period during 1943 and1944, since that time.In September of 1935 the Insecticide Division of the Bureau of Chem-istry and Soils was transferred to the then Bureau of Entomology. It isnow the Pesticide Chemicals Research Section of the Entomology Branch,Agricultural Research Service.From 1934 through 1943 the Pesticide Chemicals Research Sectioncontributed to the study of control of fruit insects by study of the magni-tude, distribution, weathering, and removal of insecticide residues, as wellas the study of insecticide formulations.Since 1943 these studies have been continued with the new syntheticorganic insecticides. In addition, the rapidly developing use of theseinsecticides on field crops has presented the problem of residue studies onthese crops. The Pesticide Chemicals Research Section laboratory at Vin-cennes now furnishes chemical residue studies for most of the Researchstations of the Entomology Branch within the North Central States area.European corn borer research at West Lafayette was started inMarch, 1942, when L. H. Patch, Morris Schlosberg and Ray T. Everlywere transferred from the main federal corn borer laboratory at Toledo,Ohio, to West Lafayette, Ind. A. M. Vance joined the staff in August ofthe same year to take charge of the station. However, in 1949 Vance wastransferred to the main office in Washington and appointed as assistantchief of the Division of Cereal and Forage Insects. Messrs. Patch, Schlos-berg and H. R. Painter, who earlier was transferred from the generalCereal and Forage Insect office to the corn borer project in 1943, were alltransferred to Ankeny, Iowa, in 1950 to start research on the corn borerin cooperation with the Iowa State College of Agriculture. Ray T. Everlywas transferred from the West Lafayette laboratory in 1946 to Columbus,Ohio, to work on legume insects. E. J. Udine and L. L. Stitt were membersof the Corn Borer Laboratory from 1943 to 1945.The main project at the corn borer station was the testing of dent,sweet and popcorns to find resistant germ plasm which could be used bythe corn breeders in the corn improvement program. Patch worked ondent corn, Schlosberg on sweet corn and popcorn. Both cooperated withcorn breeders at the Purdue Agricultural Experiment Station. Painterwas responsible for the production of eggs for manually infesting the cornplots, and made photographs. Everly spent considerable time in evaluat-ing corn strains for their resistance to oviposition by moths of the cornborer. This station operated as a sub-station of the Toledo, Ohio, station.The corn borer workers received most encouraging and helpful cooperationfrom the Entomology Department at Purdue as well as from the entirePurdue Experiment Station.

Federal entomology in Indiana

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Federal entomology in Indiana

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