DISCOVERY OF PEOSPALTELLA LAHORENSIS. 21 



A careful search, covering several days, resulted in determining 

 that the white fly was of widespread distribution. The infestation 

 was quite similar to that already described as occurring at Saharan- 

 pur. Although of general distribution, the fly was in no place so 

 abundant as to be a serious pest. The smut so prevalent in white- 

 fly infestations of Florida was almost entirely absent. While it was 

 not a difficult matter to find large leaves in well-protected, densely 

 foliated trees that contained large numbers of white flies, few were in 

 a living condition. Those alive were in an early stage of pupation. 



Discovery of Prospaltella lahorensis, the True Internal 

 Parasite of the Citrus White Fly. 



During the investigation at Saharanpur a few pupa cases of the 

 citrus white fl}^ were noticed to differ somewhat in appearance from 

 those of normal shape. Some of these contained very small holes which 

 were of such a character as could easily have been made by a lady- 

 beetle or some other biting insect. However, when large numbers of 

 these abnormally thickened pupa cases were found at Lahore, and 

 always with a small rounded hole in the exposed surface, it was very 

 apparent that this condition was the result of internal parasitism. 

 Considering the type of the host as well as the character of the open- 

 ing, one was at once led to infer that the parasite was of a hymen- 

 opterous species. The cold weather at this time of year had driven 

 almost all insect life into hibernation, so it was impossible to find 

 any living parasites. A large quantity of leaves containing insects 

 which had been parasitized was collected and sent to the Bureau of 

 Entomology in Washington. A careful examination of this material 

 resulted in finding five dead specimens of a very minute insect, which 

 Dr. Howard, Chief of the Bureau of Entomology, determined as 

 belonging to the genus Prospaltella, of the hymenopterous subfamily 

 Aphelininse. 



In stating the results of this examination Dr. Howard wrote: 



The specimens on leaves sent in by Mr. Woglum have been examined with great care. 

 None of the full-grown larvae or nymphs contained pupal parasites, but five specimens 

 of a very minute aphelinine of the genus Prospaltella were found dead and attached to 

 the orange leaves in the vicinity of perforated Aleyrodes. The size of these specimens 

 is such as to justify the conclusion that they had issued from aleyrodids, and their 

 juxtaposition and the known habits of the genus confirm this conclusion. 



As the insect was new to science, it was described as follows by Dr. 

 Howard : ^ 



Female. — Length, 0.54 mm.; expanse, 1.42 mm.; greatest width of forewing, 0.25 

 mm. Antenufe long, not clavate; scape long, slender; pedicel nearly as broad as 

 long; first funicie joint somewhat longer than second; second and third subequal; 

 club equal in length to second and thii'd funicie joints together; terminal segment of 



1 Journal of Economic Entomology, vol. 4, no. 1, p. 132, 19U. 



