304 



MONTHLY BULLETIN, 



A SATISFACTORY METHOD OF REARING MEALY BUGS 

 FOR USE IN PARASITE WORK.* 



By E. J. Branigan. 



Owing to the scarcity of room at the state insectary for growing 

 plants upon which to raise mealy bugs for parasite use, and to the 

 relative slowness with which they multiplied on these plants alone, 

 experiments were carried out in rearing them on potato sprouts. Many 

 other host plants have been tried out, but all have been discarded for 

 this method which has proved to be most excellent. 



Fig. 98. — This cage contains twenty trays of mealy bug-infested potatoes, 

 inal.) 



(Orig- 



*The mealy bugs affecting citrus and grapes (Pseudococcus citri. P. hnkeri. P. 

 citrophilus and others) are among the most serious of California pests. Since they 

 are very difficult to control by artificial means, such as spraying and fumigation, we 

 have devoted and are devoting a considerable part of our time to the securing of 

 new natural enemies as an aid to their repression. For the propagation of the new 

 enemies introduced from foreign countries, large quantities of mealy bugs are needed. 

 Mr. Branigan has been very successful in producing these insects in large numbers 

 by the method outlined here, and I have asked him to prepare this article, feeling sure 

 that it will be of much benefit to others engaged in similar work. We have already 

 made excellent use of it in transporting enemies of mealy bugs from Japan to Cali- 

 fornia. — Harry S. Smith. 



