WINTER NUMBER 43 
HYMENORUS OBSCURUS AS A PEST OF CITRUS 
(COL. CISTELIDAE) 
J. R. WATSON 
Occasionally one sees on the bark of citrus and other trees a 
dense colony composed of hundreds of little black beetles. The 
beetles are oval in shape, less than a quarter of an inch long 
and covered with grayish-brown hairs. In the late afternoon the 
beetles leave their resting place and go in search of food which 
consists mostly of lichens and other growths on the bark of the 
trees. But ‘it seems that they may occasionally become pests. 
In July Mr. S. B. Jones of Orchid, Fla., sent in to the Experi- 
ment Station a number of these beetles with the statement that 
they had been feeding extensively on “June bloom” and other 
tender growth of his trees. In confinement they feed greedily 
on tender citrus foliage. 
The writer has also recently caught these beetles eating - out 
freshly inserted buds in a nursery. It would seem that this beetle 
must be included among the minor pests of a citrus tree. 
This beetle should not be confused with the downy darkling 
beetle (E'pitragus tomentosus), which it considerably resembles 
in shape and color. The latter is larger, never collects in colo- 
nies, and is one of the most beneficial insects in a citrus grove. 
Its. food habits are very similar to those of lady beetles and in 
many groves it is much more abundant than even the twice- 
stabbed lady-beetle. 
A NEW CITRUS INSECT 
A caterpillar recently found feeding on the leaves of a young 
grapefruit tree at Orlando, Florida, proved on rearing to ma- 
turity to be Prodenia latifascia Walker. 
Altho this insect probably is of no economic importance as a 
-pest, its presence seems to be a new record for citrus insects. 
Hence this note may be of interest. 
The identification was made by Mr. Wm. Schaus of the Na- 
tional Museum, who says that P. latifascia Walker is essentially 
a tropical insect found from Mexico to Argentina, including 
Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, St. Lucia. The only previous records of 
its breeding in the United States is one each from onions and 
alfalfa in Texas. Nothing is known of its host plants in other 
countries. 
