129 



A New Parasite of the Black Scale 

 (Lecanium testudo). 



By J. G. 0. Tepper, F.L.8., A-c. 



[Read April 4, 1893.] 



The Black-scale is well-known as a most annoying and often 

 destructive insect of the Coccidas, attacking many trees and 

 garden plants, such as Dodonaea, Abutilon, Tecoma, Pelar- 

 gonium, Wormwood, ttc. The eggs hatch in January and 

 February, when the minute, almost microscopical larva? spread 

 rapidly over the plants, actively assisted by the ants, wdiich 

 usually denote their whereabouts. From this time, and after 

 fixing themselves to certain spots, they grow rapidly till attain- 

 ing the full size of about one-sixth inch diameter, exhausting the 

 plants by sucking. On January 22nd last, Mr. Edwin Smith 

 brought to me at the Museum some live adult scale-insects and 

 two lively little pale caterpillars he said he had found with 

 them. Not being able at the time to identify them, the scales 

 and the larvte were put by themselves in a box, covered with 

 glass, and almost forgotten for some time. The latter, however, 

 in a week or two had disappeared. On March 31, on again 

 examining the box two moths were found to have hatched from 

 as many cocoons of white silk concealed under the dark empty 

 shells of the scale-insects. 



These were identified by Mr. H. H. Lower, jun., as Thnlpo- 

 chares dubia, Butler, of which the food or host had not been 

 known. This is, therefore, another lepidopterous larvae con- 

 victed of carnivorous habits. Its near relation, Thalpochares 

 coGCophaga, Meyr., is known to feed upon Eriococcus eucalypti^ the 

 small white-scale ; which produces the silky appearance of the 

 Redgum Eucalypts in our Park Lands, and usually l)ut errone- 

 ously ascribed to various other causes. 



