1920] ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY — ENTOMOLOGY. 557 



Control of tlie citrophiliis mealy bug, II. S. Woglum and A, D. Bokden 



(Cal. Vitrofir., 5 {tlKiO), y<>. 7, pp. 21'/, 2.i0, /iff. 1). — This account is Ijased upon 

 invest ifr.it ions l).v agents of tlic Bureau of Entomology of the U. S. Depuilnient 

 (»f Ai-'iicultiire, wiiieh resultt'd in effective control measures for the conunon 

 or citrus mealy 1)U.l: thai were universally a(iopte<l l)y the growers during the 

 season of 1!)10. The investigations hy the senior author of the citrus mealy 

 bug {I'scudococcus citri) resulted in the discovei-y that it could he success- 

 fully coidrolled by 4 importiint predators {Sj/inphcrobius 2 spp., Ilupcraspis 

 sp., and Vnjptohvmus sp.) provided ants, particularly the Argentine ant, were 

 elinunated from the infested territory. 



The control of the Argentine ant by use of poisoned syrup having been 

 accomplished ( K. S. R., 41, p. IGG), it was found that Cryptohemus was the 

 only one of the 4 predators which fed freely on the citrophilus mealy bug 

 (7*. ijiiluini), but that other import.int predators of this pest wei*e the Leucopls 

 sp. and Sviiinnus sp. The combined efforts of these species failed, liowever, to 

 c<introl .severe infestations, although quite efficient in lighter infestations. 

 Spraying with the insecticides effective against the citrus mealy bug did not 

 piove satisfactory, and fundgation proved to be a failui-e. 



Studies of the citrophilus mealy bug revealed ia spring migration of the 

 inat-iu-e females to the trunk and rough places on the main branches, where 

 they deposit the egg masses for the succeeding generation. This led to the 

 use of burliip bands on the trunks, applied not later than April 1, as an 

 additional inducement for the insect to oviposit there. The trunks and lower 

 main branches were subse(iuently sprayed with an effective insecticide (soap 

 powder, 40 lbs.; distillate crude, 28 per cent, 30 per cent Baume, 10 gal.; 

 water to make 200 gal.) before the eggs hatched. In this way a 20-acre 

 demonstration plat was cleaned up. The methods which resulted in the freeing 

 of this orchard of ants and control of the mealy bug within a year's time at 

 II cost of less than 10 cts. per tree are briefly described by the author under 

 the headings of Argentine ant control, banding with burlap, trunk treatment, 

 and natural enemies. 



A new species of Aleyrodidje found on azalea, A. C. Bakkr and ?.I. L. 



Mor.Es (7'roc. Ent. 8oc. llo.sft., 22 {1920), Xo. 5, pp. 81-83, figs. iO).— Under the 



name Alcyrodcs azalcw, the author describes a new species fre<iuently found 



. on foreign shipments of azalea from Belgium and Holland. It was also taken 



in November, 1919, from plants shipped from Japan. 



Is sericulture an American possibility? R. H. Tingley (Textile World 

 Jour., 58 {1D20), No. 5, pp. 31, 81, fig. 1). — This is an account of work with mul- 

 berry and osage orange trees and with food preparation based upon work by 

 V. K. Osigian in Louisiana and Texas. 



The semitroi)ical army worm, E. W. Berger (Quart. Bui. State Plant Dd. 

 Fin., 4 (1920), No. 2, pp. 17-34, fiff- i)- — This is an account of Prodeina [seu 

 Xylomiges] eridania Cramer, a serious enemy of the castor bean, which crop 

 was grown in large quantities in Florida in 1918. Serious outbreaks of this 

 pest occurred that year in central and southern Florida, it having been first 

 i"eported from Vero on July 18. An account is given of its biology and control, 

 reference being made to a bulletin on the pest by Chittenden and Russell 

 previously noted (E. S. R., 20, p. 9.J.3). 



All parts of the castor plant are eaten hy the worm, the leaves being pre- 

 ferred, the young fruit spikes next and then the leaf petioles and the tips of the 

 plaiit.s. Next to the castor-bean plant, cotton, of the cultivated plants, is prob- 

 ably prefei'red as a food plant. The immature cotton bolls were attacked even 

 when plenty of foliage was present, and tlxe bark near the base was also eaten. 



