128 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



mealy bugs, while the full-grown larv£e (which measure about one fourth 

 of an inch in length and about one third as much in width) feed upon all 

 stages of the mealy bugs. Upon dissecting the mature larvte it will be 

 found, by examining the intastinal contents, that the entire mealy bug 

 is devoured.. When mature the larvaj go into the crevices or under 

 cracks of the bark, among dead leaves, under clods on the ground or 

 other protective places, and there transform into pupn^ and finally into 

 the adult stage — the metamorphoses occurring within the cottony skins 

 of the larva?. Often these pupte may be seen in great quantities upon 

 the trunks of the mealy bug infested trees, so that thousands have been 



Fig 40.— Larvae of ladybird beetles predaceous upon mealy bugs. A, the mealy bug 

 destroyer, Cryptohnnus montrouzieri ; B, Cryptogonus orhicuhis; C, Scyvinus guttu- 

 lattis. (Author's illustration.) 



counted upon a single tree. The adult beetles are about one fourth of 

 an inch in length, black in color, with the head, prothorax and the tips 

 of the wing covers salmon red, as is also the color of the body beneath 

 the elytra. The markings are shown in Fig. 41. 



The beetle preys upon nearly all of the species of mealy bugs and has 

 been observed by the writer feeding upon the citriLS mealy bug and the 

 long-tailed mealy bug, while it is recorded l)y other writers as feeding 

 upon the various species in different countries. 



This insect is very easy to distribute throughout the State, and should 

 be introduced into' all communities where the mealy bugs are in any 

 considerable numbers. The adults may be obtained from the districts 

 where they have become established, especially from San Diego, Ven- 

 tura and parts of Los Angeles counties, or by applying to the State 



