448 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



ON DELPHASTUS CATALIN^, A VALUABLE LADYBIRD 

 ENEMY OF THE WHITE FLIES. 



By Harry S. Smith and E. J. Branigan. 



During the summer of 1915 the junior author, while engaged in 

 colonizing the Sicilian mealybug parasite in the vicinity of Pasadena, 

 came upon a heavy infestation of the white fly, Aleyrodes helloggi, on 

 Catalina cherry. Close inspection revealed the fact that they were 

 preyed upon to a large extent by a tiny reddish-brown ladybird. These 

 were collected and forwarded to the senior author at Sacramento, who 

 had them identified as Delphastus catalince Horn. Although nothing 

 was found in entomological literature concerning the habits of this lady- 

 bird, further study in the field showed that while it fed upon other 

 species than Aleyrodes helloggi it was confined in its food habits to the 

 family known as the White Flies. The fact that it confined its attention 

 to the white flies, but still was sufficiently adaptable to enable it to 

 thrive on various species of that family, immediately suggested to us 

 the possibility of its usefulness in Florida as an enemy of the citrus 

 white fly, the worst insect pest of citrus fruit in that state. It being 

 at that time too late in the year to attempt collection of the ladybird for 

 shipment, it was necessary to i^ostpone any effort in that direction until 

 1916. Consequently during the present summer the insects were 

 watched for and while they were probably not so abundant as during 

 the previous year, a colony was obtained and sent to the Florida Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station at Gainesville. The following letter was 

 received a few days later : 



University of Florida, 



College of Agricidture, 



Gainesville, Fla., Sept. 6, 1916. 



Dear Mr. Smith : 



Your letter of the 31st ult. arrived this morning. The insects 

 arrived yesterday. Most of them were alive and happy. * * * 

 I at once supplied them with Dialeurodes citri and am delighted to 

 report that this morning they are taking to the new material with 

 avidity. They seem to be especially fond of the eggs. Just now 

 the white fly is largely in the egg stage. It is to be hoped that 

 they will like the larvae equally well. Both larvaB and adults have 

 largely deserted the material that you sent for the fresh. The 

 insect certainly looks promising and to say that we are delighted 

 would be expressing it mildly. * * * 



You have placed us under a lasting debt of gratitude for your 

 kindness in this matter and I shall keep you fully informed as to 

 the progress of the colony. 



Yours truly, 



J. R. Watson, 



Entomologist. 



