A KEVISION OF THE SPECIES OF COCCOPHAGUS, A 

 GENUS OF HYMENOPTEROUS, COCCID-INHABITING 

 PARASITES 



By Harold Compere 



Of the University of California, Graduate School of Tropical Agriculture and 

 Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside, Calif. 



INTRODUCTION 



The beneficial insect investigations of the citrus experiment station 

 are conducted primarily for the purpose of introducing and estab- 

 lishing in California parasitic and predacious insects that may be 

 of aid in combating our insect pests. A certain amount of taxo- 

 nomic work is necessary to acquaint us with the parasites with which 

 we are dealing. Probably no genus of coccid-inhabiting parasites is 

 of more economic value than is Coccophagus, for the species of this 

 genus appear to be the most numerous and widely distributed. So 

 far as known, the species of Coccophagus are essentially primary 

 parasites mostly inhabiting lecaniine scales. Accidental secondary 

 parasitism is frequently encountered when species of Coccophagus 

 compete with other parasites for the possession of a host. One 

 species, C. leptospermi Girault, is recorded as having been reared 

 from a gall on Leptospermuvi^ but it is suspected that this parasite 

 issued from a gall-like coccid. C. javensis Girault is recorded from 

 a Pseudococcus species collected on Mango. C. gurneyi Compere 

 is a parasite of Pseudococcus gahani Green, a serious pest of fruit 

 trees and ornamental trees and shrubs. The introduction of C. 

 gurneyi Compere from New South Wales into California gives 

 promise, at this writing, of being one of the most valuable importa- 

 tions of recent years. The extensive collecting of Mr. E. W. Rust, 

 formerly parasite collector for the citrus experiment station, has 

 revealed a number of different Coccophagus inhabiting certain 

 species of C eroplastes which occur in South Africa. The parasites 

 of C eroplastes that occur in Africa may prove of value if established 

 in certain parts of the Orient and Australia where several species 

 of C eroplastes are serious pests of cultivated plants. 



No. 2850.— Proceedings U. S. National Museum. Vol. 78, Art. 7 



2010—31 1 



1 



