28 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



Briefly summarized, the work of the Division under each of these 

 heads has been as follows: 



(a) INVESTIGATIONS UPON SPECIFIC INJURIOUS INSECTS OR GROUPS 



OF INSECTS. 



WORK ON INSECTS FROM ABROAD. 



'I his branch of work, referred to in some detail In my last report, 

 has continued to receive the attention of the Division. The importa- 

 tion of a beneficial insect which bids fair to be of some practical value 

 has been accomplished during the j^ear with the assistance of the 

 Department of Agriculture of Cape Colony. The Entomologist has 

 been in correspondence for some years on the subject of parasites of 

 scale insects with Mr. C. P. Lounslniry, Entomologist of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture of the Cape, and deciding that one of the species 

 known as Scutellista cyanea, a parasite of the black scale in South 

 Africa as well as in India and of the wax scales in Italy, would be a 

 desirable importation, he so notified Mr. Lounsbury. This gentleman 

 brought with him to America in the early summer of 1!)00 two boxes 

 containing specimens of the black scale parasitized by this insect, 

 which were immediatel}' sent from this office to Mr. E. M. Ehrhorn, 

 horticultural inspector of Santa Clara County, Cal., who, having been 

 notified in advance, had prei)ared certain potted plants badly infested 

 with the San Jose scale, and colonized u^Don tliese plants the parasites 

 found to be issuing on arrival. This was an opei*ation of the fiscal 

 year to which this report is devoted, and at the time of the present 

 writing a generation of the insect has developed upon American soil, 

 and the prospect of its permanent establishment seems excellent. A 

 prior importation of this same parasite was made two j-ears earlier, 

 and an attempt was made to colonize it at Baton Rouge, La., with the 

 assistance of Prof. H. A. Morgan and Prof. S. E. McClendon, of the 

 Louisiana experiment station, upon a wax scale growing abundantly 

 at that place. So far as can be learned, this early importation Avas 

 unsuccessful. The parasites issued, but apparently did not succeed 

 in establishing themselves. The desirability of an effective parasite 

 of the black scale in many parts of southern California seems great, 

 since the Rhizobius beetle imported from Australia by Mr. Albert 

 Koebele, when an agent of this Division, while perfectlj^ efficacious in 

 some places, especially near the coast, fails in others. It is hoped 

 and expected that the Scutellista above mentioned will prove a most 

 desirable addition to our insect fauna. It is possible that it will turn 

 out to be no more effective than Tomocera califorvica, a parasite 

 which already exists in California, but from the present outlook it 

 seems to be a more rapid breeder than this Avell-known species, and if 

 so, it will be more effective in keeping down the scale. 



In the last report the introduction and establishment of the fig- 

 fertilizing insect {Blasfophaga grossoruni) was announced, with the 

 qualifying statement tliat "the coming winter maj^ temporarily upset 

 the promising aspect of the work." By means, however, of temporary 

 canvas shelters over three caprifig trees in Fresno several hundred 

 wild figs were carried through the winter on the trees, each fig con- 

 taining many of the insects. These issued at the proper season in the 

 spring, entered other wild figs, and increased so greatly that by the 

 time the Smyrna figs were read}- for their reception a very extensive 

 fertilization was carried on by oriental methods, and at the present 



