INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 



69 



The wings are slender, transparent and about three times as long 

 as broad. The young nymphs are pale green and cover themselves 

 with a thick white cottony material. When about half-grown they 

 are mottled light or dark brown, with conspicuous wing pads. The 

 eggs are very minute, whitish, elliptical and attached by a slender 

 stalk. 41 



Life History. — The life history of this species has not been com- 

 pletely worked out in California. The eggs are laid in the early 

 spring from which the first brood develops, adults appearing in 

 August and September. These hibernate and deposit eggs the fol- 

 lowing spring. There is but one brood a year. 



Nature of Work.— The leaves of the laurels are thickened and 

 often badly curled by the attacks of this psyllid and the tree may 

 become unsightly and stunted by their continued feeding upon them. 



Fig. 57. — The laurel psyllid, Trioza alacris Flor. Adults and 

 nymphs on a laurel leaf. Enlarged three times. (Original) 



Distribution.— This insect has been taken only in Alameda and 

 San Mateo counties. It was discovered by 0. E. Bremner and identi- 

 fied by D. L. Crawford, who first published relative to its occurence 

 in the State. 41 The writer took quantities of the nymphs and adults 

 at Melrose, Oakland, Cal., in August. They were a decided menace 

 to the infested trees and much spraying and other control measures 

 were being employed to diminish the attacks. It is common in Europe 



"Crawford, D. L., Mo. Bui. Cal. Hort. Com, Vol. I, pp. 86-87, 1912. 



