THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 317 



Parasites. — The following species of Chalcidoidea were bred 

 from corni, which on some trees was badly parasitized and almost 

 exterminated — Coccophagus lecanii Le Baron var., C. cinguliventris 

 Gir., C. perflaviis Gir. mss., Blastothrix longipennis How., and 

 several male encyrtids. Besides these parasites, Comys hicolor 

 How., Coccophagus lecanii Fitch, Euderus Hindus Ashm., and 

 Aphiciis alhiceps Ashm., have been bred from this scale in Michi- 

 gan.^" By far the most numerous and effective one in this region 

 proved to be C. lecanii, although in California Comys fusca How., 

 a species not found at Madison, and probably not occurring in 

 Wisconsin, seems to be the chief check. 



Predators .— The maggots of a small fly, Leiicopsis nigri- 

 cornis Egger, were observed feeding on the eggs. Two common 

 coccinellid beetles Hyperaspis hinotata Say, and Chilocorus bi- 

 vulnerus Mulsant, are important enemies, the larvae feeding on 

 the eggs and young. 



Disease. — The adult females are susceptible to several fun- 

 gous diseases, which with favourable conditions, spread rapidly 

 and destroy many of the insects. Cordyceps clavulatiim Ellis is 

 the most important of these and was first mentioned as being 

 parasitic on Lecanium corni by Pettit in 1895.^^ 



The Spruce Scale, (Physokermes picece Schr.). 

 Physokermes picece Schr. is found abundantly on the Norway 

 spruce {Picea ahies) about the University of Wisconsin campus, 

 and has become a serious pest of this tree. It is especially numer- 

 ous on the lower branches, many of which are being killed by it, 

 and which are rendered unsightly by a black fungus thriving on 

 the honey-dew secreted by these insects. The heavy honey-dew 

 secretion is also very attractive to flies, and especially honey bees. 

 History and Distribution.— \n 190S' Physokermes picece was 

 believed to be confined to Europe,^- and it was not reported in 

 this countr\^ until 1906 when it was discovered near Hartford, 

 Connecticut. Since then it has been found in various northern 

 localities as far west as Wisconsin. The following list of Ameri- 

 can records of its distribution was kindly furnished by Mr. E. R. 

 Sasscer, of Washington, D.C., Massachusetts. 



10. Lowe, V. H., loc. cit., p. 589. 



11. Pettit, R. H., Cornell Exp. Sta. Bull., 9", p. 341, 1895. 



12. Fernald, M. E., Mass. Exp. Sta. Bull., No. 88, p. 209, 1903. 



