New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 449 



The general appearance of the insect is ^hown at Plate XIX, fig. 5. 

 At a the mature scales are shown enlarged and at 6 the mature 

 and young hibernating scales, natural size. Unlike the two pre- 

 ceding species, this scale passes the winter in the larval state. 

 After the first few warm days of spring, the young scales begin to 

 move about, but soon find a suitable place to settle down to again 

 suck the sap of their host plant. They soon begin to grow with 

 astonishing rapidity. Previous to this time the male and female 

 scales are very much alike, but as the season advances the female 

 scales are seen to grow to large oval fleshy scales, while the males 

 are much smaller, oblong and slightly oval in shape. A delicate 

 white waxy scale is their only protection. The mature male is a 

 delicate two-winged insect, in general appearance resembling the 

 males of the two preceding species. Under this delicate .covering 

 the male undergoes its transformations, finally, about the time the 

 female becomes full grown, emerging as a mature insect. 



About the middle of May or early in June the females are ma- 

 ture and egg laying begins. The eggs are oblong oval in shape, 

 pearly white and have smooth shells. They are laid under the 

 mother shell, which is only the hardened integument of the parent 

 insect, the mother scale herself literally turning into a mass of 

 eggs. The number of eggs produced by a single scale varies 

 greatly, probably from five or six hundred to over two thousand, 

 the writer having counted over twenty-one hundred under a single 

 female. 



The newly hatched scales remain under the mother shells for a 

 time varying from a few hours to two or three days. At this time 

 they vary in size from 0.5 to 0.75 mm. in length and are a little 

 more than half as broad as long. Their bodies are also very thin 

 and slightly curved above. 



As would be supposed, a swarm of little scales I? produced from 

 a single mother. After leaving the mother shell they travel about 

 apparently aimlessly for a time, but within a few days settle down, 

 most of them upon the under surface of the leaves along the mid- 

 ribs and larger veins, although many may be found upon the 

 upper surface as well. Still others, however, may be found scat- 



29 



