132 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



Fig. 47.- 

 nebulosus. 

 beetle. 

 Q u a y 1 e. 

 Cal. Agr 

 Station.) 



-Scymnus 



Adult 



(After 



Courtesy 



c 1. Exp. 



Scijniiuis nchiilosiis Lee. 

 (Fig. 47.) 



The adult beetles are exceedingly small, being less 

 than one eighth of an inch in length. They are some- 

 what elongated in shape and vary from light to dark 

 lirown in color, with indistinct markings upon the 

 back. The larva? are covered with long white cottony 

 filaments. 



The species is native and generally distributed 

 throughout the State. It preys upon the mealy bugs, 

 other scale insects and plant lice. 



THE SMALL BROWN LADYBIRD BEETLE. 



/S'c//Hi«//s sordidiis Horn. 



(Fig. 48.) 



This is another very minute beetle, scarcely more than one sixteenth 

 of an inch long, and entirely light bro\\Ti in color. The larva are about 

 one fourth of an inch long, yellow in color and covered with a thick 

 coat of long white waxy filaments. 



Fig. 48. — Larvse and adult female of the small brown ladybird beetle, 



Sciimnus so7-didits. Enlaiged. ( Author's illustration. ) 



It is a native species occurring throughout the State and feeds not 

 only upon the mealy bugs but also upon other scale insects and plant 

 lice. 



THE BLACK LADYBIRD BEETLE. 



Rhizohiiis i-cntialis Er. 

 (Fig. 49.) 



The adult beetle is entirely black and less than one fourth of an inch 

 in length. The abdomen beneath the wing covers is dull red. The 

 larva^ are slightly more than three eigliths of an inch in length and are 

 dark brown or almost black in color. 



This beetle was introduced a number of years ago by Albert Koebele, 

 and established as an enemy of the black scale. It works upon many 

 cf tlie scale insects, and has been found to be a bountiful feeder upon 

 the citrus mealy bug in Ventura County. 



