460 Phylum Arthropoda 



Family erotylidae 



MYCOTRETUS PULCHRA* 



THIS member of the family Erotylidae was found breeding in Poly- 

 porus chioneus early in September. At this time larvae, pupae, and 

 several adults were present, with the larvae most plentiful. The in- 

 fested fungus was moved to the laboratory and kept moist by being placed 

 close to a wet sponge. The larvae continued to feed in the fungus until 

 they were full grown, when they entered the pores of the sponge and 

 pupated, the sponge being rather dry at the time. From this it appears 

 likely that pupation in the field takes place in the wood to which the 

 fungus is attached. Under laboratory conditions the pupal stage re- 

 quired from 10 to 12 days during the last half of September. 



M. E. D. 



Family coccinellidae 



HYPERASPIS LATERALIS** 



THE ladybird beetle, Hyperaspis lateralis, is a predator on the red- 

 wood mealybug, Pseudococcus sequoiae, on Monterey cypress. It 

 also feeds voraciously on the golden mealybug, Pseudococcus aurila- 

 natus, and upon other species of coccids or mealybugs. The adults 

 prefer to eat the eggs and young of the mealybugs, but when these are 

 gone they will eat the adults. 



Small twigs infested with mealybugs were placed in separate petri 

 dishes to serve as food for each pair of beetles. P. aurilanatus was used 

 as food for the fall brood, while P. sequoiae was used in the spring. Mois- 

 tened filter paper was put in the bottom of the petri dishes so as to pro- 

 vide moisture for the insects, but this procedure proved unsatisfactory 

 because of the development of fungi on the twigs, which eventually en- 

 veloped the foliage as well as egg masses of the mealybugs. Not only 

 were the latter destroyed, but the fungi also prevented the hatching of 

 the ladybird beetle eggs. Later, fresh green leaves were successfully used 

 to supply moisture for the insects. 



Just as soon as the eggs of the beetle were laid on the twigs or under- 

 neath the mealybugs, the twigs were removed and replaced by fresh 

 ones. 



♦Abstracted from an article in Canad. Ent. 52:18, 1920, by Harry B. Weiss, New 

 Jersey State Experiment Station. 



♦♦Abstracted from an article in Univ. oj Calif. Publ. in Ent. 6:9, 1932, by H. L. 

 McKenzie. 



