Vol. I, No. 10.] INSECT LIFE. [April, I8§9. 



SPECIAL NOTES. 



Mr. Koebele's Mission concluded.— Mr. Koebele returned from Aus- 

 tralia and New Zealand by the March steamer. He left Australia late 

 in February, and spent a large part of the month of March in New 

 Zealand with Mr. Maskell and Mr. Wight searching for parasites and 

 other enemies of Icerya. He shipped from Australia before leaving 

 another sending of Monophloebus and Icerya infested with Lestopho- 

 nus, and also sent a large number of Coccinellids of four different species, 

 nearly all of which were alive upon arrival in Los Angeles. Mr. Coquil- 

 lett reports good success in colonizing this shipment, and writes that the 

 Coccinellids particularly made themselves at home, beginning imme- 

 diately to feed upon Icerya. 



In New Zealand Mr. Koebele was unable to find any true parasites, 

 with the possible exception of a small Dipteron, of which, however, he 

 saw only four or five specimens. He found, however, several Coc- 

 cinellids which feed with avidity upon Icerya, and brought a large 

 number of these to California with him. We expect to publish before 

 long a preliminary report from him on the trip as a whole, which will 

 doubtless prove interesting reading. 



One of the interesting results not yet mentioned in these columns was 

 the finding and successful importation of a predaceous Noctuid larva 

 which feeds upon Pulvinaria, Icerya and Lecanium. This insect has 

 received the name Thalpochares cocciphaga from Mr. Meyrick,and it may 

 possibly breed and flourish in California, although Mr. Coquillett has 

 just written us that living larvae received by him refused to feed upon 

 Icerya. 



Two other predaceous Lepidopterous larvae were found by Mr. Koe- 

 bele, oue of which was a Pyralid, which fed abundantly upon Eriococciis 

 eucalypti^ while the other was a Tineid. 



Our Indiana agent, Mr. F. M. Webster, was sent to Australia in De. 

 cember, but remained there only one month and had little opportunity 

 for entomological research, as he was charged with assisting in the prep- 

 aration of a report for the State Department on the agricultural as- 



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