THE RED SCALE OF FLORIDA. 



29 



taken ou a single brood — the second one observed — as that will be suffi- 

 cient for our purpose. The observations were made upon specimens 

 which were colonized on small orange trees in pots in my office in Wash- 

 ington. The rate of the development of the insects Avas probably slower 

 than would have been the case in the open air in Florida. 



"April 12, 1880, specimens of orange leaves infested by this scale were 

 received from Mr. G. W. Holmes, Orlando, Fla. At this date males 

 were found both in the pupa and adult state. The females also varied 

 in size, and some of them were ovipositing. Eggs were i)laced on an 

 orange tree for special study. 



"April 13, the eggs began to hatch. The newly-hatched larva (Fig. 



Fijc- ^-—AspidioHis ficus ( Ashiu.). 5, scales ou leaves of oraiiire, natural size: a, scah' of female 

 enlarged ; 6, scale of male, enlarged ; c, young larva ; d, e, and/, different stages in tbu foriuatiou of the 

 scale. (After Comstock.) 



oc) is broadly oval in outline and yellow in color. The antennie are 

 five-jointed ; the three basal joints are very short and nearly equal in 

 length ; the fourth and fifth joints arc each longer than the three basal 

 joints together. The fifth joint is strongly tuberculatcd at tip so as to 

 appear bifurcated. The eyes are prominent and of the same color as 

 the body. The young larvte are quite active, but they settle soon after 

 hatching. Some settled the same day that they hatched. 



"April 14, it was found that the young lice, although only twenty-four 

 hours old, had formed scales which completely concealed them from 



