378 REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



specimens. Having already sent material to Mr. Woodworth, we were not 

 immediately able to get a supply of the insects for a sending, but at this 

 juncture we received from Mr. G. W. Harney, of Marysville, California, 

 some beetles for determination, which proved to be Pentilia misella. He 

 reported that in the mountainous regions of Yuba County many apple trees 

 had been badly infested with A. jierniciosus, and that hundreds of these 

 little ladybirds were found preying on the scale. The occurrence of this 

 ladybird in California as thus determined, and the fact that it there had the 

 same useful habit, was a most interesting discovery. We immediately had 

 Mr. Mclntyre's request transferred to Mr. Harney for attention. It is more- 

 than likely that this little beetle is already widely distributed over the 

 Pacific Slope, and it may prove to have a continental distribution instead of 

 being restricted to the east, as originally supposed. 



In California the common twice-stabbed ladybird Chilocot'us bivulnerusr 

 is very common and active on trees infested with the San Jose scale, and is- 

 an important aid in keeping the scale in check. This species has been 

 reported bj' Mr. N. W. Motheral, a year or two after having been intro- 

 duced, to have multiplied in immense numbers and to have effected the 

 extermination of the scale in orchards in Tulare Connty, California. (Insect 

 Life, Vol. V, p. 53). In the east, however, this ladybird, although common, 

 does not seem to be attracted to the scale. 



Various species of the ladybirds introduced, through the agency of Mr. 

 Koebele, from Australia, were colonized on trees infested with Aspidiohis 

 perniciosus, and of these Orcus clialyhcus, O. Australiasm, and Scymnvs 

 lophanthoe have since been found preying upon the San Jose scale. (Insect 

 Life, Vol. V, pp. 128, 251: Vol. VI, p. 271). The last-named species was one 

 of the lot introduced by Mr. Koebele on his first Australian trip (1888-89), 

 and was subsequently lost sight of. In 1892 Dr. F. E. Blaisdell described it 

 [Entomoloykal Xews, Vol. Ill, p. 51) as a new California species of Scym- 

 nus, naming it S. Jophanthce from the fact of his finding it preying on the 

 San Jose scale which infested the limbs of Acacia lophantha near San Diego, 

 California. The interesting facts thus shown are the establishment of the 

 beetle in California and its very useful habit. (Insect Life, Vol. V, p. 127.) 



We are informed also by Hon. Elwood Cooper, President of the State 

 Board of Horticulture of California, that of the last importation by Mr. 

 Koebele two species of Khizobius (B. centralis and B. deblllx) have been 

 found to feed on various scales in California, including the San Jose scale, 

 but to what extent is not yet known. An undetermined native Jadybird, 

 Scymnus sp., has also been observed in California feeding upon the San^ 

 Jose scale, and thei'e can be no question that most of our common native 

 ladybirds will acquire this habit, and also many of our common predaceous 

 insects, notably the larvte of lace-winged flies. 



Great confidence is being expressed by fruitgrowers in California as to 

 the efficacy of these predaceous insects, and there is a tendency more and 

 more to give up spraying operations and leave the work of the protection of 

 orchards solely to these natural agencies. In explanation of the great 

 benefit experienced in California from natural enemies of scales, Mr. Cooper 

 (letter of December 18, 1894), is of the opinion that this results from the fact 



