33 



The facts indicate tliat Australia is undoubtedly its original home, 

 from whence it was introduced on Australian plants into New Zealand, 

 Cape Town, South Africa, and California at about the same time. 

 The evidence points to its introduction into California about the 3^ear 

 1868 on Acacia latifolia. It is a very hardy insect, will live for some 

 time without food, and thrives on a great number of food plants. In 

 California it spread rather rapidl}^, and by 1886 had become the most 

 destructive of orange scale pests. The damage occasioned by it was 

 of such a serious character as to threaten the entire citrus industiy of 

 the Pacific coast. The nature and habits of this insect made it almost 

 impervious to any insecticide washes, and the orange growers of Cali- 

 fornia were rapidly 

 losing heart. 



In 1889, however, 

 through the agency 

 of Mr. Albert Koe- 

 bele, an assistant of 

 this oflice, the natu- 

 ral ladybird enemy 

 of the fluted scale 

 was discovered in 

 Australia and im- 

 ported into Califor- 

 nia. This lad3'bird, 

 Novius ( Vedalia) car- 

 dlnalis (fig. 29), mul- 

 tiplied prodigiously, 

 and in a very short 

 time practically ex- 

 terminated the fluted 

 scale, saved the State 

 of California annual 

 damage amounting 

 to hundreds of thousands of dollars, and removed this scale insect from 

 the roll of dreaded injurious species. 



The beneficial results derived from this ladybird have not been con- 

 fined to California. Through the agency of this Department and in 

 cooperation with the California State authorities, this ladybird has 

 been sent to South Africa, Egypt, Portugal, and Italy, and in each of 

 these countries its introduction has been followed by similar beneficial 

 results in the control of the fluted scale. 



While the fluted scale, at the time or soon after its injurious record in 

 California, gained access to several foreign countries, very fortunately 

 Florida and the Gulf districts remained long free from it. 



Fig. 27.— Fluted scale {Jcerya -pHrchasi) , female series, illustrating the 

 development of the female insect from young- larva to adult gravid 

 stage: a, newly hatched larva; 6, second stage; c, third stage; d, 

 full-grown female; e and /, same after secretion of e%% sac — (orig- 

 inal and after Riley). 



172 



