INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 



171 



end. They are thin and delicate in texture and light or dark brown 

 with exuvia? somewhat brighter. The length varies from T V to 1-11 

 inch. The male scales are white, tricari- r 

 nate, slender and with edges parallel. 



Life History. — The young hatch from 

 eggs deposited under the shell and appear 

 throughout nearly the entire year, espe- 

 cially in greenhouses and in warm, moist 

 climates. There are several overlapping 

 broods a year. The scale is a general 

 greenhouse pest in this State, but is quite 

 destructive to coconut palms in the 

 Society Islands. 94 



Nature of Work.— This species attacks 

 the leaves and stems, often massing in 

 great numbers and doing considerable 

 damage, causing the foliage to turn yel- 



Mi |~T I Ioav and greatly 



I I / | reducing the 



fj vitality of the 



plant. Fig. 14 8. — The Aspidistra scale, 



TV + "U +* Hemichionaspis aspidistra; (Sign.), 



Distribution, on Aspidistra lurida. Natural size. 



—The aspidistra ( O"^™ 1 > 



scale is very common throughout the State. 



Food Plants. — Acacia, Australian black- 

 wood, Aspidistra, betel nut, coconut, Cyanotis, 

 Davallia pallida, ferns, fig, mango, orange, 

 orchids and pepper trees are food plants. 



Control.— Spraying the plants constantly 

 with water when the eggs are hatching will 

 eliminate many of the young. Applying a 

 combination of oil emulsions or miscible oils 

 and tobacco decoction will also give good 

 results. 



THE EUROPEAN FIORINIA 



Fiorinia fioriuiw (Targ.) 



(Diaspis ftoriniw Targ.) 



(Fig. 149) 



I * Description. — The female scales are elon- 



gated, slender with parallel sides or slightly 

 wider in the middle, hard and yellowish 

 brown. There is a central keel along the dor- 

 sum which is wrinkled. The length varies 

 from 1-25 to T V inch. The bodies are elon- 

 gated and dull orange-yellow. The male scales are similar to the 

 females in shape and color but are smaller. 



Life History.— This scale breeds quite rapidly in greenhouses and 

 in damp warm climates. There appear to be several broods a year. 



94 Doane, R. W., Jr. Ec. Ent., II, p. 220, 1909. 



Fig. 149. — The European 

 Fiorinia, Fiorinia fioriniw 

 (Targ.), on sago palm. Nat- 

 ural size. (Original) 



