European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 9, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes saturday november 9, 1985legions of Ladybug Zero in on aphids by Joy Aschenbach National geographic w Hen foreign insects sneak illegally into the United states they Don t usually bring their natural enemies  they often become pests wildly proliferating and destroying because those enemies were left behind. So the department of agriculture Racks Down the natural enemies overseas and unleashes them i infested areas of the country. The department has foreign agents based in Europe Asia and South America. Ladybugs. Traditional signs of Good Luck pioneered in biological control. An australian Ladybug led the first successful Campaign in the Bug against Bug War nearly too years ago when the deadly Cottony Cushion scale threatened to wipe out California Citrus Groves. A us a entomologist had traced the pest to its australian Homeland and discovered that it was being Ealen by the Sedalia Beetle or Ladybug. He Brough Back 514 ladybugs. They and their descendants saved a multimillion Dollar Industry. Ladybug a renowned voter Ana in the War on aphids and us a s newest biological control project has recruited Europe s most voracious aphid consumer the Bright red Orange ladybird Beetle with seven Black spots. One of these egg laying ladybugs can devour More than 200 aphids a Day when aphids Are abundant. And they Don t Fly off when the Job is done like some native american ladybugs says Gary l. Cunningham a senior staff officer of us a s animal and Plant health inspection service. They have a tendency to stay around and not leave the original area when the Host has died  so effective and popular is this Ladybug among English gardeners that Britain recently put her on a postage stamp one of a series featuring insects. The Ladybug a primary targets in the United states Are two undesirable aphid immigrants the pea aphid which attacks Alleafa and the Greenburg which destroys Grain crops says or. Jack Coulson head of us a s beneficial insect introduction lab. The agriculture department did t actually have to import the seven spotted Ladybug Cuccinella septem Punctate. She arrived on her own possibly flying in on jets that landed at Kennedy International Airport. No one knows for sure but she has been at Home in the Northeast for at least a decade. The aim of the new project is to collect Large numbers of the bugs and help get them established throughout the United states. Biological control which also is carried on by state departments of agriculture. Is a tiny weapon compared with chemical warfare. But bugs have their advantages they Are environmentally safer less costly than pesticides and unlike chemicals they do not have to be Rea phed. They Are not a Panacea however. They must be used in association with other pest management techniques Are limited in the types of infestations they can attack and they take a Long time to establish. In general natural enemies cannot eradicate pests but they can Cut their numbers to tolerable Levels. They have not been effective against the devastating Gypsy Moth although that pest is known to have More than 100 natural enemies. Host of us in act Gonta in current us a biological control programs Are varieties of wasps. While they cannot sting people they have been used against the Cereal Leaf Beetle mexican bean beet