168 



AFTERXOOX SESSIOX—AUG UST LI, 1894. 



Mr. Smith, iu continuation of the discussion on the morning's papers 

 on the San Jos6 scale, exhibited half a dozen California pears, obtained 

 at a fruit stand in Brooklyn, on which the scale in question occurred 

 in all stages, from the young active larva to the full-grown gravid 

 female. 



Mr. Lintner, in the same connection, exhibited an apple covered with 

 the scales of MytUaspu pomorum. This specimen had been handed him 

 by Mr. Saunders, who had obtained it from near Ottawa, and it illus- 

 trated the extreme abundance of the scale in that locality. 



The following paper was then read by Mr. Davis; 



MEALY BUGS AND THEIR ALLIES. 



By G. C. Davis, Adrirultural College, Michigan. 



As a greenhouse pest mealy bugs are well known to entomologists 

 and are much too common for the wish and welfare of the florist. Indi- 

 vidually they are easily recognized from other insects, as they are dis- 

 tinctly different. Economically they are well known as general feeders 

 on tender plants in the house and conservatory and to a less extent on 

 plants and trees outside. They are much dreaded, because they multi- 

 ply so rapidly, and as surely weaken a plant by extracting much of the 

 sap from its tissues. Scientifically they are quite well known since 

 Prof. Comstock described the different species and gave illustrations of 

 them in the Annual Eeport of the U. S. Entomologist for 1880. The 

 descriptions include the egg, larva, and the adult male and female of the 

 two species, Dactylopius destructor and D. longifilis, along with descrip- 

 tions of many other Coccidic. Prof. Comstock has also given them 

 brief recognition in his Introduction to Entomologj'. 



Aside from these few facts given above, American literature is almost 

 silent on the subject. A careful search, about a year ago, of the litera- 

 ture at my command, gave me no light as to the habits or life history 

 of the species, or those closely related to them. This was quite a sur- 

 prise, since mealy bugs are such common and noxious insects. When 

 literature will not afford one the desired information, the next best 

 recourse is to search it out for himself, which I have attempted to do, 

 and the few notes will be from observation and rearings made in the 

 past year and a half. No attempt will be made at this time to rede- 

 scribe the various stages of the different species where descrijitions are 

 already accessible. When the notes are more complete, they can then, 

 perhaps, be put in suitable form. 



The female of our commonest mealy bug, Dactylopius destructor, is 

 very prolific, laying usually not far from 400 eggs, but may vary in 

 number from 300 to 600. Each egg is slightly oblong and about 0.25""" 

 in length. The color is a light straw yellow, with small particles of the 



