260 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 5 



all to the parasites and enemies. In other words practically all of 

 the adult scales that have not succumbed to the enemies die naturally 

 after having performed their function of reproduction. But the fact 

 remains that but a very small percentage of young escape at this time, 

 and this result is evidently due to the activity of the parasites and 

 other natural enemies. 



The enemies of the scale so far at work here, other than hymenop- 

 terous parasites, are chiefly coccinellids, mites and fungi. A small 

 black scymnid belonging either to Microweisia or to a closely allied 

 genus is abundant in both the larval and the adult stages feeding upon 

 the scale over the whole region. The mites are so far problematical 

 in their influence, since it is likely that they feed chiefly on the dead 

 scales. A species of the fungoid genus Sporotrichum quite exten- 

 sively attacks the scale, but probably mostly the older and already 

 spent individuals. The larvae of the cecidomyid genus Lestodiplosis 

 and the lepidopterous genus Blastobasis have been reared in extremely 

 small numbers from the scale, and have no present effect upon it. 

 Practically all of these enemies, whether of value or not, conform to 

 the same custom as the parasites and become largely if not wholly 

 inactive during the hot dry season. 



The establishment here of the oriental Chilocorus similis has been 

 attempted, three sendings having so far been kindly shipped from 

 Japan by the Imperial entomologist, Mr. S. I. Kuwana. The few 

 individuals that survived the voyage uniformly failed to withstand 

 the hot season here. While this and other foreign coccinellids would 

 probably not continue active here during the hot months, thej^ would 

 certainl}^ be able to flourish during the humid months and would aid 

 in the decrease of the scale. 



As to the habits of the parasites and enemies now at work here, 

 it may be said that we evidently have in them, for the period of their 

 activity during the humid season, as nearly a complete chain of 

 attack or sequence of enemies as is possible of attainment with a host of 

 this nature. The scymnid Microweisia (or nearly allied genus) attacks 

 the eggs as well as the young and adults. Aspidiotiphagus para- 

 sitizes the newly-hatched young while they are still active and up to 

 the time that they become fixed. Aphelinus evidently parasitizes 

 the adults and the early stages after they have become fixed and 

 excreted the scale-covering. Prospaltella probably has the same 

 habit as the last, at least P. auraniii from its large size, while it is 

 probable from their small size that the species of Signiphora may have 

 a similar habit to that of Aspidiotiphagus. It further seems likely 

 that the last-named genus at least is parthenogenetic. All these 



