66 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



THE OLEANDER APHID. 



Apliis nerii Fonsc. 

 (Pig. 53.) 



General Appearance. — Deep yellow apterous forms with dark an- 

 tenme, cornicles, dusky head and tips of leg- joints. The winged form 

 has dark head, black spots on the thorax and a black blotch at the 

 base of each cornicle, as well as dark antenna, cornicles and tips of leg 

 joints. 



Life History. — Young appear in the early spring on the young shoots 

 and buds of the oleanders. Great colonies are soon produced, which 

 continue throughout the early summer, when the natural enemies begin 

 to appear. Winged and apteroas forms may be found in nearly equal 

 numbers. 



Distribution. — Throughout the entire State. 



Food Plant. — Oleander, works on the buds and terminals of the 

 young shoots. 



Natural Enemies. — The common ladybird beetles prej- upon this 

 species to some extent, but the internal parasites, Aphidius testaceipes 

 and Charips xanthopsis, aid in holding it in check. Syrphid flies, 

 especially Syrphiis americanus, also prey upon it. 



THE BLACK PEACH APHIS. 



ApMs persicw-niger Smith. 

 (Fig. 54.) 



General Appearance. — The full-grown winged and apterous forms 

 are of average size, robust and shiny black in color. The young are 



reddish yellow or brownish and are always 

 more abundant than the shiny black adults. 

 The characteristic shape as shown in Fig. 

 54 and the color make the determination 

 of the species quick and certain. Like the 

 woolly aphis, this insect has a root and 

 a?rial form and is responsible for much 

 damage. 



Life History. — The insect winters over 

 on the roots of peach trees, where it may 

 also be found in the summer. The first lice 

 appear above ground very early in the 

 spring and begin attacking the tender leaf- 

 less shoots or suckers — usually those at the 

 base of the tree or nearest the ground. 

 These lice are all wingless. As soon as the 

 buds, young fruit and leaves appear they 

 are promptly attacked, often the entire 

 crop being almost completely ruined. The 

 leaves are curled and weakened while the young fruit is so distorted as 

 to be killed or rendered unfit for market. During the months of April 



Pig. 54. — Adults of the black 

 peach aphis, Aphis persicw- 

 niger Smith. (Original.) 



