24 



discovered during fruit picking. On apples and pears especiall}^ the 

 presence of the scale is at once disclosed by the bright red ring-like 

 spots which surround the places where the scales are attached to the 

 fruit. No other scale insect does this; so that this peculiarity makes 

 identification easy and certain. Red spots sometimes appear on fruit 

 from other causes, but in such cases, of course, no scale insect will be 

 found at the center. This fact is an important one, because it enables 

 a fruit grower to discover prompth^ not only when his orchard becomes 

 infested, but the exact trees which are attacked. 



When the scales are abundant thej^ completely cover the trunk and 

 branches, giving them a characteristic grayish mealy appearance. On 

 scraping such a twig a 3^ellowish oily fluid will be seen, which comes 

 from the crushed bodies of the insects. Cutting a strip of the bark 

 will reveal a reddish discoloration, which may also extend to the wood. 



The San Jose scale is at once distinguished from other related pests 

 by the small size of the scales, which measure commonl}^ about one- 

 sixteenth of an inch in diameter, though rarel}' specimens may be 

 found nearly an eighth of an inch across. The scales are circular and 

 somewhat elevated in the middle, which bears a small black or yellow- 

 ish pointed process. In badly infested Orchards they completel}^ 

 cover the trees, giving the branches an unhealthy, grayish, scurf}^ 

 appearance. 



In winter the scales are to be found only in half or nearly full grown 

 condition, and completely dormant. With the first flow of sap in 

 spring they begin to feed again, and become fully grown in May and 

 June, when the first brood of larvae is produced. So far as known, all 

 these larvpe are born alive. They move about actively for a few hours 

 or even a da}' or more, finall}' settling on tender twigs, leaves, or fruit, 

 into which they gradually' insert their beaks and begin to suck juices 

 from the plant. 



From this time on broods are produced incessantly through the sum- 

 mer, and the insect can be found in all stages until late in October. 

 Shortl}^ after settling on a spot the larva secretes a waxy substance, 

 the beginning of the formation of a scale. 



Description. — The following description is quoted from Dr. L. O. 

 Howard, Entomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture: 



In two days the insect becomes invisible, being covered by a pale grayish-yellow 

 shield, with a projecting nipple at the center. This nipple is at first white in color. 

 Twelve days after hatching the first skin is cast. The males at this time are rather 

 larger than the females, which have large purple eyes, while the females have lost 

 their eyes entirely. The legs and antennse have disappeared in both cases. Six 

 days later the males begin to change to pupae, while the females have not yet cast 

 their second skin. At this time the females are so tightly cemented to the scale that 

 they can not be removed without crushing. In two or three days more, or twenty 

 to twenty-one days after hatching, the females cast their second skin, which splits 

 around the margin of the body. At twenty-four days the males begin to issue. 



