﻿THE NATURAL ENEMIES OF THE CITRUS MEALY BUG 11 265 



developed averages about 1 cm., but with the woolly secretions as seen in the 

 orchard some are twice as long as this. The width is about one-third the 

 length of the body, but this may be very different in some specimens. I am 

 using only average measurements. The woolly covering secreted by the larva 

 is snowy-white. The covering is arranged in long filaments, each filament 

 arising from the dorsal and lateral spine areas and extending in all direc- 

 tions. When attacked the larva immediately curls up showing only a woolly 

 mass. Few insects care to eat through this secretion to get at the body, so 

 the attacks of other insects are few. The body is yellow, sometimes approach- 

 ing a very dark shade. The dorsum of the head and ninth abdominal segment 

 are nearly black, as are also the femur, tibia, and claw of the legs. On the dor- 

 sum of the prothorax are two large black blotches and many smaller ones. The 

 entire body is covered with long and short spines. The following descrip- 

 tion is of the body with the wolly secretion removed : 



Head — As long as the piothorax, but much narrower. Color, dark 

 on the dorsal side. Covered with long hairs or spines. Antennae, three-articled, 

 tapering greatly from base to the tip ; retractile. All of the articles are 

 nearly equal in length. I is much wider than 11, II is twice as wide as III. 

 ^Mandibles (Fig. 106) — Strong: bifurcate at the point, with tooth on the 

 inner margin near the base. Maxillary palpi, three-articled, the epidermis may 

 be extended at the point of insertion to make them appear four-articled. Ar- 

 ticles I and II are nearly equal in length, III is nearly as long as both I and II. 

 Article I is wider than long, and much wider than II ; article II is also wider 

 than the length and wider than III; III is very narrow and much longer 

 than either I or II. Labial palpi, two-articled and small ; articles nearly equal 

 in length but I is wider than II. 



Thorax — Gradually tapering from the head to the metathorax which is 

 the widest part of the body. Prothorax much wider than the head, and 

 narrower than either the meso or metathorax. Color, yellow with two large 

 cloudy blotches and several smaller ones on the dorsum. Spines on posterior 

 margin. Mesothorax very short, yellow, with two large spine areas near 

 the middle of the dorsum, and two spine areas on either side of these. On the 

 lateral margin is a large spine area. The. large breathing spiracle is on the 

 anterior lateral margin. Metathorax agrees with the mesothorax in ar- 

 rangement of spine areas, but is wider and has no spiracle. 



Abdomen — Nine segments, all tapering from the first to the posterior 

 segment which is much narrower than the other eight. All ,are yellow except 

 the dorsum of the ninth segment, which is dark. On the dorsum there are 

 two median spine areas, two more or less lateral or dorsal (one on each 

 side of the two median) and a lateral area on each margin of the first eight 

 abdominal segments. On the ventral side there are five ventral spine areas 

 and two lateral areas on each segment. (One of the two lateral areas on 

 each margin is the lateral area seen from above.) The 16 spiracles are situated 

 along the margin of the abdomen. A spiracle situated on the anterior lateral 

 margin of each of the first eight abdominal segments. The ninth segment 

 is covered with many long spines or hairs. 



