32 NATUKAL CONTEOL OF WHITE FLIES IN FLORIDA. 



and Texas through the offices of the entomologists of the experiment 

 stations of those States. Its recent discoveiy in India by Mr. R. S. 

 Woghim, of the Bureau of Entomology, has been noted by Dr. 

 Howard.^ 



HYPERPARASITIC FUNGI. 



A greenish hyperparasite of the brown fungus was noted by the 

 senior author ui April, 1907, in Manatee, Fla., where an examination 

 of leaves shed by the cold of the previous winter iu one grove showed 

 that fully 95 per cent of the pustules of the brown fungus had been 

 parasitized. Since then it has been observed at various times in 

 many of the groves in Manatee, Oneco, and Palmetto. In September, 

 1907, it was noted by the senior author at Lake Charles, La., where 

 its occurrence was directly traceable to importation of nursery trees 

 from Manatee County, Fla. 



Prof. H. S. Fawcett has identified this hyperparasite as Ootv- 

 iotliyrium sp. It forms a dense, dark-greenish, hard growth over the 

 pustule of the brown fungus and presents a surface roughened by 

 numerous pustular elevations as shown in Plate VII. 



As only the stromata of the brown fungus appear to be affected, 

 it is doubtful if the Coniotliyrium has any practical influence in 

 checking the'spread of the mycelium of the brown fungus. In fact, 

 it has been repeatedly noted that even when its parasite was present 

 the brown fungus was spreading as rapidly and doing as effective 

 work in controlling the fly as when it was not parasitized. In Janu- 

 ary, 1909, the junior author noted that the Coniotliyrium was rare 

 in groves in and about the Manatee hammocks, even where it was 

 observed to be most abundant in 1907, and in all these groves the 

 brown fungus was doing effective work in controlling the fly. 



FUNGI OF LITTLE OR NO VALUE AS WHITE-FLY PARASITES. 



THE WHITE-FRINGE FUNGUS. 



(Microcera sp.) 



The white-fringe fungus (Microcera sp.) is so inconspicuous that it is 

 easily overlooked. It forms no distinct pustules as do yellow and 

 brown fungi. (See Plate IX, lower figure). Larvas and pupae infected 

 turn whitish, then red, often pinkish, and from their margins bursts 

 forth a delicate fringe of white mycelial growth from which the fungus 

 derives its name. There subsequently appear at various points along 

 the margin and through the vasiform orifice the fruiting bodies, which 

 are pink in color and vary in number in different specimens infected. 

 After the specimens infected are dried or after the mycelium has been 

 long developed, the cliaracteristic fringe dries up and disappears, so the 

 best lasting evidence of the presence of this fungus is its pink fruiting 



1 Joum. Econ. Ent., vol. 4, p. 130, 1911. 



