JOURNAL OF AGMCCLTIML RESEARCH 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Vol. VI 



Washington, D. C, July 3, 191 6 



No. 14 



CALIFORNIA GREEN LACEWING FLY 



By V. L. WlLDERMUTH, 

 Entomological Assistant, Cereal and Forage Insect Investigations, Bureau cf Entomology 



INTRODUCTION 



The green lacewing fly {Chrysopa calif ornica Coquillett) (fig. 1) has 

 been observed by the writer on many occasions during the past five 

 years in connection with outbreaks of aphids in southern Arizona and 

 California, and at various times the extreme usefulness of the species in 

 controlling these outbreaks has been noted. An opportunity for making 



1 



Fig. 1. — The California green lacewing fly {Chrysopa califomica): Adult. 



a complete study of the species came to hand during the past year 

 (19 1 5), and this paper is prepared for the purpose of recording the facts 

 as observed and interpreted during this study. 



HISTORICAL REVIEW 



This lacewing fly has been known since 1890, when it was collected in 

 California and described by Coquillett (3) 1 in the Report of the State 

 Board of Horticulture of that State. The next reference (1, p. 156) to 

 it is in Banks's Revision of the Nearctic Chrysopidae. In this paper, 

 published in 1903, Mr. Banks redescribed the species and stated that 

 "it is the most abundant species on the Pacific coast." 



It was not, however, until the year 191 2 that the real usefulness and 

 economic value of this species was brought forth. In this year 



1 Reference is made by number to " Literature cited," p. 524. 



Journal of Agricultural Research, 

 Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 

 eh 



(515) 



Vol. VI, No. 14 

 July 3, 1916 

 K-38 



