274 



ns have experienced, to our sorrow, the severity of the wounds resulting from the 

 venom of the insect. [September 16, 1891.] « * * 



Second Letter. — # # s My experience with CoHor/((««s srtH(/«(.sH(/«s is rather 

 limited. Along in the summer, ahout May 20, my attention was drawn to thi& 

 Hemipteron by being bitten by what I supposed to be bedbugs. A careful search 

 was promptly made, but no bugs could be found. Still we were bitten, and one 

 morning my mother handed me a big bug distended with blood, and for several morn- 

 ings by looking we were enabled to find from one to two about the bed. The log 

 house which we rent is roughly biiilt, and they hid in the walls during the day and 

 came out at night. There were not many, for after killing a dozen or so we were 

 not bothered any more. This bite was not much more severe than that of a bedbug, 

 and no ill consequences followed like those of which I have read. Those captured 

 on the bed in the morning were gorged with blood, as stated in my letter on page 

 466 of volume in. Insect Life. I have caught them out in the woods and I do not 

 see what they get to suck blood from out there. I suppose in cases where their bites 

 l»rove seriously injurious tlie person must be in ill health. * * * [A., ]s^, Caudell^ 

 Indian Territory, October 29, 1891. 



The Orange-leaf Aleyrodes. 



I send a few leaves from orange trees on my plantation at this place (lat. 27° 30')' 

 From last April to August I had millions of a tiuy white-winged insect (pink tint), 

 on some 300 or more of my trees and caused them to disappear by using whale-oil 

 soap, lime, etc. Three hundred trees are uoav black with the smut, leaves, branches, 

 and all. Is this insect Aleyrodes citrlfolii f Does this insect or smut hurt the vitality 

 of the ti'ee in any way? The smut is on the fruit also, .and some of my oranges have 

 been rendered almost insipid (usually delicious) either by the insect, smut, or the 

 insecticide applied (probably the latter). Any suggestion from you touching this 

 miserable pest and how best to get rid of the winged insect, if it again appears, and 

 the smut, will be very gratefully received. — [Charles H. Foster, Florida, January 8, 

 1891. 



Reply. — * * * rpj^^ insect which you send is, as you suppose, Aleyrodes 

 ciirifolii. The smut fungus is the result of the abundance of these insects. 

 The work of the insects undoubtedly reduces the vitality of the tree, and while 

 the fungus mycelium does not penetrate the plant substance, yet, by forming a 

 dense coating, it undoubtedly still further reduces its vitality. The insect is now 

 upon the leaves in its wingless form, and many of the specimens sent by you were 

 still living and about full grown. The tiny white-winged form is the adult in- 

 sect. The immature insects can be destroyed by the application of a dilute kerosene- 

 soap emulsion made according to the formula on page 3 of Circular No. 1 of this Divi- 

 sion and the smut fungus can be removed from the trees by spraying with a strong 

 whale-oil soap solution (7 pounds of the whale-oil soap to 28 gallons of water). This is 

 so strong, however, that it will damage the foliage if allowed to remain on long, and 

 it should, therefore, be allowed to remain on the tree only about two hours, and the 

 tree should then be sprayed with pure water. The strong alkaline solution will cut 

 the fungus, so that it can be easily washed off by the water spray. — [January 14, 

 1892.] 



Orange Chionaspis in Florida. 



I inclose section of an orange twig on which is some kind of scale insect that is new 

 here. It is, so far as I know, confined to one locality, but seems to be spreading rap- 

 idly. * ' * [E. Bean, Florida, October 23, 1891. 



Reply. — * * * The scale which you send is the Orange Chionaspis (C7iion«.spis 

 citri Comst.). This insect occurs in the West Indies and is the commonest orange 

 scale in Louisiana. It is rare in Florida and, in fact, we have only received it once from 

 your State. In Louisiana it does considerable damage to orange trees and if it appears 



