210 



THE MONTHIA' BULLETIN, 



OUa plagiata Casey. 

 (Fig. 200.) 



General Appearance. — The adult beetles are broadly rounded; about 



three sixteenths of an inch long and three 

 fourths as wide. The head is pale; pronotum 

 l)laek with pale lateral margins ; wing covers 

 black with a large, irregular, red blotch slightly 

 in front of the middle of each. The under 

 surface of the head and thorax and bases of 

 the legs are black ; tips of legs and abdomen 

 pale. 



Distribution. — -Throughout the central and 

 southern parts of the State, but not abundant. 



Hosts. — This species preys principally upon 

 plant lice. 



e 



Fig. 200. — OUa pla- 

 giata Casey. (After 

 Quayle. Courtesy Cal. 

 Exp. Sta.) 



THE SMALL GRAY LADYBIRD BEETLE. 



General Appearance. - 



Psyllobora twdata Lee. 

 (Fig. 201.) 



-A very small gray beetle with man}- fine 

 dark brown irregular spots or 

 blotches on the elytra. Scarcely 

 one eighth of an inch long and 

 oblong in shape. The larvi^ are also 

 small and vary from straw to gray 

 in color. 



Life History. — This species is so 

 small that only the first hatched 

 scale insects are devoured, but the 

 great numbers of the beetles enables 

 them to do much good. The young 

 and adults alike are very active 

 and feed almost constantly. 



Fig. 2 01. — Tlie small gray ladybird 

 beetle, PsjjUobora twdata Lee. (Orig- 

 inal. Drawing by Birdnekoff. ) 



Distribution.— A native species 

 especially a1)uudant in the southern 

 part of the State in the coast counties from Santa Barbara to San Diego. 

 Hosts.— Young black scale, aphids and mites. 



