A: E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 805 



destructive insect in Bermuda. It is easily recognized, when adult, 

 by the peculiar form and fluting of its scale or egg-case, which is 

 pale yellow and filled with a white cottony secretion. The body of 

 the insect, which is nearly concealed by the egg-sac, is orange-red, 

 it* back being partly covered with a whitish powder ; antennae and 

 legs black; eggs pale red, 200 to 400 in each egg-sac. Immature 

 females are covered with tufts or filaments of a cottony secretion. 

 It attacks both the leaves and branches, increasing very rapidly, 

 and often kills the trees. This insect was introduced into California* 

 about 1868, and into New Zealand, South Africa, and Florida soon 

 after. Before that time it had attracted little attention. In South 

 Africa it quickly destroyed great numbers of orange trees, even 

 those of the largest size, and spread to a great variety of other trees 

 and shrubs. It was formerly one of the most destructive species in 

 California. It is not known when it first arrived in Bermuda, but 

 probably not till after 187G. The Australian Lady-bug ( Vedalia 

 cardinalis, see fig. 183a) was imported by experts of the ig3a 

 U. States Agricultural Department into California to 

 destroy this scale, and has proved very beneficial there, 

 the damage from this species being very little at pres- ^al 

 ent. The Vedalia has also been successfully introduced 

 into India, Egypt, Portugal, New Zealand, Hawaiian 

 Islands, and other countries for the same purpose. It should be 

 introduced into Bermuda, from the United States, which could 

 easily be done.f 



* It is said to have been brought to California from Australia, but some sup- 

 pose that it was originally native of the Pacific Islands. That its natural 

 enemies (like the Vedalia) live in Australia is evidence that it was native there, 

 but not conclusive. 



f Several other species of Australian Coccinellids were also successfully intro- 

 duced into California in 1892 by the entomologists of the U. States Department 

 of Agriculture. Among the most important of these is Rhizobius centralis Er. , 

 which feeds voraciously on Lecanium olece and other species of Lecanium and 

 Erioeoccus. It survives the winter well and increases rapidly, so that it is of 

 great value for destroying these scales. 



Rhizobius clebilis and R. satellus, though successfully introduced, did not 

 increase so rapidly as the former. R. clebilis feeds on the San Jose" Scale and 

 related species, as well as on Lecanium. Oreus Australasice and O. chalybeus 

 were both successfully introduced and increased rapidly in some localities. The 

 former feeds on the San Jose" Scale and related species ; the latter on Lecanium 

 olece, etc. Very likely some of these could easily be introduced into Bermuda. 



