110 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



The Brown Lacewing can be reared in confinement, and it should be 

 possible to increase its effectiveness by liberating it in large numbers 

 in infested orchards. 



Hyperaspis Lateralis Muls. 



This ladybird is found abundantly in the southern part of the state, 

 especially in Los Angeles County, and at times is very effective as an 

 enemy of the citrus mealybug. I have seen trunks of trees almost 

 entirely covered by the cottony pupa cases of this ladybird. The adult 

 is small and black in color, with a number of bright red and yellow 

 markings. The larva? are entirely covered with cottony wax filaments, 

 so that they resemble mealybugs in a general way. Both the larva? 

 and the adults feed upon the young mealybugs and eggs. This pred- 

 ator, too, would be very much more valuable if it were not for the fact 

 that it is destroyed in large numbers by Momaiotylus, an internal par- 

 asite. The ladybird is, however, susceptible to rearing in confinement, 

 and it should be possible to increase its numbers in the orchard by this 

 means. 



Cryptolaemus Montrouzieri Muls. 



This ladybird, which was introduced into California from Australia 

 by Albert Koebele in the early nineties, has been at times a very effective 

 enemy of the citrus mealybug in San Diego and Ventura counties. 



While it has been repeatedly introduced 

 into the interior by the Insectary, it has 

 never seemed to be able to thrive away 

 from the seacoast. It was introduced into 

 the Hawaiian Islands and has become a 

 very important enemy of mealybugs in 

 that locality. The adult ladj-bird is com- 

 paratively large and black in color, with 

 the head, prothorax and the posterior part 

 of the elytra of a brownish-red color, ren- 

 dering it very distinct from any other 

 ladybird occurring in 

 California. The eggs 

 are yellow and are de- 

 posited among the egg 

 masses of the mealy- 

 bug. The larva? are 

 like the preceding spe- 

 cies covered with long 

 filaments of a white 

 cottony wax, which render them more or less invis- 

 ible when occurring in a colony of mealybugs. Their 

 larger size and their different method of movement, 

 however, make them easily seen by the experienced 

 observer. Clausen states that one factor which pre- 

 vents more effective work on the part of this ladybird 

 is its inability or at least lack of inclination to spread 

 to any extent from tree to tree, or from grove to grove. Since this lady- 

 bird can be bred in large numbers in confinement it should not be impos 

 sible to overcome this difficulty. 



Fig. 31. Adult of the mealy- 

 bug destroyer. Cryptol&mua 

 montrouzieri Muls. Greatly en- 

 larged. (After Essig. ) 



Fig. 32. The small 

 brown ladybird bee- 

 tle, Scijmnus sordi- 

 chis Horn. The illus- 

 tration is of an 

 adult female, en- 

 larged ten times. 

 (After Essig.) 



