224 



INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OP CALIFORNIA. 



Distribution.— This is the common ladybird beetle throughout the 

 entire Stale. The adults hibernate in great colonies in the high Sierras, 

 from whence they descend 

 into the lowlands as soon as 

 warm weather melts the snow 

 in the spring. 



Hosts. — All stages feed 

 upon soft-bodied insects, such 

 as plant lice and scale insects. 

 The larva' are also, at times. 

 cannibalistic. The principal 

 food consists of plant lice, 

 chief of which are the melon 

 aphis, Aphis gossypii Glover, 

 the destructive pea aphis, 

 Macrosiphum pisi (Kalt.),the 

 bean aphis, Aphis rumicis 

 Linn., and the woolly apple 

 aphis, E >■ i <> s <> m a lanigera 

 I llaiism.). 



THE VEDALIA 



Novius cardinalis (Mulsant) 



( Vedalia cardinalis Mulsant) 



(Fig. 20S) 



Description. — The beetles 



Fig. 207. — The common black-spotted red 

 ladybird beetle, Hippodamia convergens Guer. 

 Adults, pupte and larvre. Enlarged twice! 

 (Original ) 



in length and oval in shape. 

 The color pattern is very pro- 

 nounced and striking, being 

 red and black, as shown in Fig. 208. In the females red predominates, 

 while in the males there is more black. Both sexes are covered with 

 fine, light-colored hair. The larva? are often over -| 

 inch long and lead-gray in color with reddish sides. 

 They are usually covered with whitish powder from 

 the egg-sacs of the cottony cushion scale. The eggs 

 are a little larger than those of Novius koebclei, but 

 are the same color and laid in similar places. The 

 young feed upon the eggs and young scales and do 

 great execution. The pupal stage is passed in the 

 -Adult larval skin upon the leaves and limbs of the trees. 



Distribution. — The Vedalia is quite 



common 



Fig. 208.- 

 female of the Ve- 

 dalia, Novius car- 

 Drawing, showing throughout the citrus-growing sections of the State. 

 (After 0l u r s m Dept' ** disappears with the host and is constantly being 

 Agile.) "* sent out by the State Insectary. It w r as introduced 



into California by Albert Koebele of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture. 



Hosts.— It feeds entirely upon the eggs and young of the cottony 

 cushion scale (Icerya pvrchasi). To this beetle is accredited the salva- 

 tion of the citrus industry in California, which was threatened with 

 destruction by the above scale. 



