34 



The first and presumably only introduction of this insect into Florida 

 was an intentional one, though not malicious, and illustrates the risk 

 run in importations of beneficial insects undertaken by persons unfa- 

 miliar with the subject. A nurseryman of Hillsboro Count}^, Fla., 

 hoping to duplicate against the common Florida scale insects the won- 

 derful work of the imported Australian ladj^bird against the fluted 

 scale in California and, ignorant of the fact that the ladybird in ques- 

 tion did not feed on any of the armored scales which he especially 

 wished to have controlled by it, got one of the county horticultural 

 commissioners of California to ship him a lot of these ladybirds, 

 together with some of the fluted scale as food. The whole lot was 

 liberated on his premises and resulted, naturally enough, in stocking 

 some of his trees very thoroughly with the fluted scale. The infesta- 

 tion coming to his attention, he 

 sent, in June, 189-1, specimens to 

 the Division of Entomology and 

 the}' were promptly determined as 

 the dreaded California scale pest. 

 Fortunately, the nurservman in 

 question realized the enormity of 

 his offense and took, at Dr. How- 

 ard's earnest suggestion, immedi- 

 ate and active measures to exter- 

 minate the fluted scale on his 

 premises, ultimatel}' taking out 

 and burning the trees. 



It was hoped that extermination 

 had been effected, but four years 

 later (1898) the fluted scale was 

 again received from the same dis- 

 trict. In view of its quite general 

 spread, as reported, in the immediate region, it seemed improbable 

 that it could be easily exterminated, and the introduction of the 

 Australian ladybird was urgently advised. During the spring and 

 summer of 1899 the ladj'bird in question was successfully colonized in 

 Florida by Mr. Gossard, with the assistance of Mr. Craw. 



The fluted scale in Florida evidentlj^ does not multipl}' as rapidly as 

 it does in California. Furthermore, as shown by Mr. Gossard, it is 

 attacked by a fungous disease which appears suddenly in July and 

 results in the death of from 25 to 70 per cent of the partly grown 

 scales. We may hope that with the aid of this disease, and by means 

 of the prompt introduction of its natural enemy, the fluted scale will 

 never play the role in Florida which it originally did in California. 



The habits and transformations of the fluted scale (figs. 27 and 28) 

 closely parallel those of the species of Lecanium already described. 



172 



Fig. 28. — Fluted scale {Icerya purchasi), male 

 series: a, male insect with greater enlargements 

 of base of wing and foot at 6 and c; d, second 

 stage of larva; e, pupa; /, cocoon — enlarged 

 about 7 diameters (re-engraved from Riley) . 



