SCALE-INSECTS 



object in life being to impregnate the female, which is soon accom- 

 plished. The mouth parts are lost during the metamorphosis, and 

 what is strange enough, their place is supplied by a second pair of 

 eyes ! 



As soon as the female scale-insect is fertilized, her body increases 

 in size and becomes distended with eggs. These are deposited 

 either beneath the scale, the body of the female meantime shrivel- 

 ing until it remains but a shrunken skin beside the mass of eggs ; 

 or a cottony sac is excreted by the female posteriorly to contain the 

 eggs, and in which they hatch. 



When the young insects hatch, they may be seen with a lens 

 crawling over the surface of the bark or leaf, preparatory to set- 

 tling down and fixing their beaks therein (except the two sub-fam- 

 ilies above mentioned, which do not become stationary). At this 

 time, their bodies are very tender, but shortly after fixing themselves 

 they begin to exude a scaly covering to serve as a protection to 

 themselves. 



Scale-insects can spread from one orchard to another by the female 

 crawling, or being carried by birds or the wind. She may even be 

 carried by attaching herself to bees, and other insects. The larger 

 species of scales more frequently spread by crawling ; but the smaller 

 ones, such as the species of Aspidiotus, are no doubt often spread by 

 the other means referred to. 



NO. i. THE SAN JOSE SCALE (Aspidio1n-x pemiriosus Conistock). 



Plate I. fig. 1. 



Scale of Female. The female scale is flat and circular, with the 

 exuviae central or nearly so. It is grayish in color, except the ex- 

 uvial spot which varies from yellowish to blackish. In some spec- 

 imens, according- to Comstock, the outer part of the scale is marked 

 with radiating ridges. Diameter, 2 mm. (.08 inch). 



Female. Body yellowish and nearly circular in outline, segmen- 

 tation distinct. The last segment presents the following characters : 

 Only two pairs of lobes visible, first pair converging at tip, notched 



