CACTUS-FEEDING INSECTS AND MITES 31 



eggs are laid in chains or "sticks," which are attached to the spines 

 or spicules of the Opuntia plant. 



Heinrich (1956) recognizes two species: M.prodenialis and M. dentata. 

 However, in this publication four species or forms are kept separate. 

 Efforts to establish these four insects in Australia were unsuccessful. 



Melitara prodenialis Walker 



During the Board's investigations, this species was found along the 

 whole length of the coasdine of Florida except in the Florida Keys; 

 at Biloxi, Mississippi; from New Orleans along the gulf coast to Corpus 

 Christi, Texas; and at a few inland localities in the eastern half of 

 Texas. Its distribution is known to extend from Florida north along the 

 Adandc coast as far as New York State. 



Considerable attention was devoted to M. prodenialis both in Florida 

 and on the gulf coast of Texas. The Florida and Texas forms present 

 certain differences in character that may constitute racial distinction. 

 There are three generadons a year in Florida, two in Texas. The Texas 

 moths are somewhat lighter in color; the females are more prolific, 

 and the eggsticks contain, on an average, a greater number of eggs. 

 Furthermore, in breeding operations in Australia, the Florida form 

 was reared much more readily on Opuntia stricta than on 0. inermis, 

 whereas the Texas insect made better progress on the latter plant. 



The Florida form attacks a wide variety of prickly pears, including 

 the shrub, or bush, pears Opuntia stricta, 0. dillenii, and 0. ammophila, 

 the low-growing 0. austrina and 0. lata, and the narrow-jointed 0. 

 tracyi. It is prevalent in many areas, as between Miami and Fernandina 

 on the east coast, and around Hudson on the west coast. The larvae 

 frequently cause considerable destruction especially to the very succu- 

 lent prickly pears 0. austri7ia and 0. tracyi. The winter generation larvae 

 produce moths in March and April; adults of the first summer genera- 

 tion emerge in June, and those of the second summer generation from 

 late August to early October. Each female usually deposits between 30 and 

 50 eggs; on one occasion an average of 60 eggs per female was obtained 

 from a number of individuals. The eggsticks contain an average num- 

 ber of 30 eggs; however, 40 eggs in a stick is not uncommon; rarely 

 does the number reach 50. 



In Texas, the species occurs generally along the coastal strip from 

 the Louisiana boundary to Corpus Christi and is very abundant in 

 the vicinity of Galveston. It has not been observed around Brownsville. 

 To the south of Galveston the distribution does not appear to extend 

 inland for a greater distance than 25 miles. On the other hand, it has 

 been found in the north-central portion of the State near Dallas and 

 at Alvarado in Johnston County. Furthermore, it inhabits the foothills 



