INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OP CALIFORNIA. 



mites become full grown in from two to three weeks. The young and 

 adults feed upon the oil in the succulent parts of citrus plants, which 

 is obtained by piercing the oil cells with their beaks. The adults are 

 capable of rapid locomotion and move 

 freely. They breed from spring until 

 late fall, giving rise to many overlap- 

 ping broods each year. 



Nature of Work. — On the bark of the 

 limbs, the leaves, and the rind of the 

 fruit there is produced a silvering of the 

 tissues which also become decidedly 

 hardened, and which is very easily dis- 

 tinguished after one becomes familiar 

 with the work. In Florida this mite 

 produces a russeting of the oranges and 

 is called the rust mite. It has never 

 attacked the orange in this manner in 

 California and seems to confine its at- 

 tacks entirely to the lemon. 



Distribution. — Though this mite was 

 introduced into San Diego County in 

 1889, it has spread very little, and is 

 still confined to the extreme southern part of the State 



Fig. 3. — The rust 

 orange or the silver 

 lemon. Eriophyes oleivorus (Ashm.). 

 Greatlv enlarged. (After Hubbard, 

 U. S. Dept. Agric.) 



Fig. 4. — Lemon on the right shows the work of the silver mite of the lemon, Eriophyes 

 oleivorus (Ashm.). (After Quayle, Cal. Agrel. Exp. ota.) 



Food Plants. — The mite works upon bark, foliage and fruit of 

 lemon and orange trees. In California its attacks are usually confined 

 to the lemon. 



Control. — The remedies are the same as for the citrus red spider 



( Tctranych us mytilaspidis) . 



