246 



SUCKING INSECTS. 



SppcI potatoes in parts of Boni^'al nvo attanlcod by a small moa^y 

 bug vvhicli infests them during' the rains and causes them to rot. This 

 is not a field pest but attacks the stored potatoes. 



Many species are reported as attacldug tea iu India and others are 



common on fruit trees and 

 garden plants. The latter are 

 rarely destructive but occa- 

 sionally spoil the appearance 

 of good plants by producing 

 "black-blight." 



A destructive species ^ 

 attacks the mulberry, infest- 

 ing the ends of the growing 

 shoots and causing them to 

 become twisted. This pest 

 is a serious one in mulberry 

 plantations, unless the plants 

 are vigorous enough to 

 outgrow it. A striking case 

 of mealy bug attack is found 

 in the very large white 

 mealy bug ^ which comes up 

 from the soil during the cold 

 weather and first weeks of 

 the warm weather ; immense 

 numbers of half-grown 

 females come up, feeding upon the bushes and trees, gradually 

 walking up the bark until they reach the ends of the branches. 

 They become very large, conspicuous white masses of them clustering on 

 the end of the twigs. The males emerge from smaller scales and fly 

 about among the branches. This is one of the largest species of mealy 

 bug found, and the male is very large in comparison to the males of most 

 insects of this family. It is injurious to occasional plants but is 

 very easily killed with sanitary fluid or other contact poisons. Its 

 food-plants are large trees and it is not injurious where it can reach 

 these. ^ 



When scale insects are found, the simplest method is to cut 

 off and burn the infested branch. The insects cannot escape by 

 flying and are easily destroyed. In coffee and tea plantations it is 

 important to watch for them and check them at once, and this is 



Fig. 296. 



Scale Insect. 



The male scale is the small narroiu one, with one 



cast shin, the female larger, with two. 



Dacti/lopius hromelice. Bouphe. 



' Monophlebus spp. 



