38 NATURAL CONTROL OF WHITE FLIES IN FLORIDA. 



places in Plate VIII. When weathered the pustules lose their powdery 

 appearance and their surface appears pitted. Tliis fungus attacks 

 both the larval and pupal stages of both the citrus and cloudy- winged 

 white flies, and has been observed by the junior author to spread to 

 and develop pustules on larvse and pup^e knowTi to be previously 

 dead. It is therefore saprophytic as well as parasitic. 



Effectiveness. — The authors have frequently observed this fungus 

 in various places in Lee, Manatee, Orange, and Marion counties since 

 1906, but in only one instance, on a few nursery trees in a very moist 

 spot at Orlando, did it appear to give promise of ever being of value 

 in holding the fly in check. The pustules are usually very scattered, 

 being most abundant in the lowest and most shaded portions of the 

 grove. Considering the almost negligible good accomplished by it, 

 it has not been the subject of serious study in the course of these 

 investigations except in noting its spread on certain trees to both 

 living and dead marked larvae and pupje. Prof. Fawcett has success- 

 fuUy grown cultures on various media, and both he and Dr. Berger 

 have secured infections in the grove with tliese cultures. 



Distribution and insects attaclced. — The cinnamon fungus has been 

 reported as infecting Aleyrodes citri at GainesviUe, Citra, Mcintosh, 

 Orlando, Winter Park, Apopka, St. Petersburg, Palmetto, Braden- 

 town. Manatee, Oneco, Bartow, Fort JMyers, Buckingham, and Alva. 

 Its attack is not restricted to the citrus white fly. Prof. Fawcett 

 states that it has been found in Florida on the following Ave scale 

 insects: Lepidosaphes gloveril'a.ck., GainesviUe; Diaspis sp., on leaves 

 of Euonymus americanus, Gainesville; Lepidosaplies hecJcii Newm., 

 Palmetto and Citra. In Italy it attacks soft scale (Coccus liesperidum) 

 on lemon leaves, and in Africa and the Antilles it has been reported 

 on unlvuown host insects. 



THE REDHEADED SCALE FUNGUS. 



(Sphasrostilbe c.occo'philn Till.) 



The red-headed scale fungus (SpTis&rostilhe coccopMla) is here recorded 

 among those fungi of minor importance attacking the white fly oifly 

 because it has been repeatedly associated with it in this connection. 

 It was first noted as a parasite on Aleyrodes citri at Orlando in 1903 by 

 Prof. H. A. Gossard. \Miile it has a world-wide distribution and is 

 very effective at times as a parasite of scale insects, being reported on 

 no less than 15 species, its value as a parasite on the citrus and cloudy- 

 mnged white fhes is absolutely nil. Probabl}'" not more than one 

 white-fly larva or pupa in a million is killed by it. In not a few cases, 

 where it has been thought on casual observation to be attacking the 

 white-fly larva, careful examination with a lens has shown that its 

 bright red fiuiting bodies originated not in the fly larva itself but in a 

 purple scale, Lepidosaphes heckii Newm., partially or completely con- 

 cealed by it. 



