64 



INSECTS AFFECTING THE ORANGE. 



TEE DESTLUCTJVE MEALY-BUG. 



{DactyloptKs deslrvctor, Com stock. 



[Fi^s. 22 and 23.J 



This species has been for several years very tlestructive to orange 

 trees in jirovos and jiarneiis in the. nei^liborhood of Jiicksonville, Fla., 

 bnt alih()U.i;U lliis, or somo other species witli difficnlty distiiifjiiished 

 from it, attacks tlie piiieapi)]e, Banana, Guava, and other tropical plants, 

 no species of J\iealy-bng' has hitherto been reported as a pest in orange 

 groves ill the more southern ponions of the State.* 



Prof. J. H. Comstock gives the following account of this insect: t 

 '^ylf??</^i^ew?«/e.— Length, 3.5n™to4'"™ ; width, 2""". Color,(lull hrown- 

 ish yellow, somewhat darker than with J), longifilis ; legs and antennae 



concolorons with body. The lateral append- 

 ages (seventeen on each side) are short and 

 inconspicuous and are subequal in length. 

 Upon the surface of the body the powdery 

 secretion is very slight. In spite of the small 

 size of the filaments, the spinnerets and the 

 supporting hairs are as numerous and as jirom- 

 inent, or nearly so, as in D. lonijijilis ; those 

 upon the anal lobes being especially long. 

 Antennce 8 jointed; joint 8 is the longest and 

 is twice as long as the next in length, joint 3. 

 After 3, joints 2 and 7, subequal, then 5 and G, 

 joint 4 lieing the shortest. The tarsi are a little more than half the 

 length of the tibiae and the digitules are as in the preceding species {D. 

 adonidum) ; claws strong. 



^' Ug'j. — Length, 0.25""" ; shape, rather long, ellipsoidal ; color, light 

 straw yellow. 



'' Young Larva. — Tvather brighter colored than the Qgg. Antennae 

 6-jointed with the fenuile, with llie same relative i)roportions as. in the 

 preceding species. Tarsi considerably longer than the tibiae. The 

 lower li[) is large, conical, and reaches almost to the posterior coxae. 



" Male. — Length, 0.87™" ; expanse of wings. 2.5™". Color light olive- 

 brown, lighter than in iollowiug species (/). longijilis) ; legs coucolorous 

 with body ; antennae reddish ; eyes dark red ; bands darker brown than 

 the genei'al color; anterior edge of mesoscutuni and [)osterior edge of 

 scutellum darker brown. Body, as will be seen from measurements, 

 rather small and delicate compared with the size of the wings; head 

 small, with almost no hair; antennae lOjointed. joints 3 and 10 longest 

 and equal ; joints 2, G, 7, 8, and I) nearly equal and considerably shorter 



Fig. 22. — Dactylnpivs dextmctor 

 CoMistO'k i feiiiiilc, enlarged. 

 (After Comstock. ) 



* Local oiitbreak.s of tLie Me,:ily-Uii;i are froai liiue to time reported iu the central 

 portious ot'tLe peuiusiila. (See Appiuilix I.) 

 t Keport of the Coxumissiouer of Agriculture fur 1880, p. 342. 



