FUXC.I I'.'KASITIC UPON ALEYRODES CITRI. 



coveiv on .-llcyrodcs citri, it was thought that this fungus might possibly 

 be the spore-bearing stage of the sterile "Brown fungus" described by 

 Webber, because of its close association with the stroma of the Brown 

 fungus, and since it also resembled the Brown fungus somewhat in color. 

 Cultures of the I'crticUlium hctcrochuium, however, together with inocula- 

 tions oi larvae of Aleyrodcs citri in the greenhouse, showed that this fungus 

 was distinct from the Brown fungus found by Webber in 1890. Further 

 evidence of its distinct character was subsequently obtained when it was 

 found in other localities on Aleyrodcs citri and on other insects, in no way 

 associated with the Brown fungus. At Palmetto, where it was first dis- 

 covered, it was seen to be attacking the long scale, Mytilaspis citric ola, that 

 occurred on the same leaves with larvae of Aleyrodcs citri. In 1907 it was 

 found on Mytilaspis glorcrii at Gainesville, quite independent of the Brown 

 fungus. During the same year, it was found on a species of Diaspis on the 

 leaves of Euonymus Amcricanns in the woods near Gainesville. Later on 

 it was observed unaccompanied by Brown fungus on Aleyrodcs citri at St. 

 Petersburg, Fla. It was introduced by the writer on larvae of Aleyrodes 

 citri on a privet hedge at Gainesville in the fall of 1907. It was also intro- 

 duced by Mr. Gaitskill along with the Brown fungus on larvae of Alevrodes 

 citri at Mclntosh, during the summer of 1907. Specimens of the same 

 fungus on Aleyrodes citri were sent in from Apopka and Citra, Florida, 

 early in 1908. In a few cases only has it been found in large quantities, 

 and as yet its efficiency as a parasite of Aleyrodes citri is not fully de- 

 termined. In its parasitism it differs from the three fungi previously de- 

 scribed, by attacking other insects not belonging to the genus Aleyrodes. 

 Several other species of the genus Verticillium have been reported as 

 occurring on insects. 1'crlicilliiim aphidis Bauml. 28 on plant lice, and Verti- 

 cillium minutissimum Corda 29 on larvae of a small insect, were described 

 from Europe. An undetermined species of Verticillium is reported by J. 

 Parkin 30 on a scale insect Asterolccanium miliaris which was infesting the 

 leaves of a bamboo bush in Ceylon. Parkin also refers to Gueguen as 

 authority for the statement that 1'crticiUium hctcrochuium had been found 

 in Africa and the Antilles. It would therefore appear to be a widely 

 distributed species. 



DESCRIPTION. 



This fungus was first described and figured by O. Penzig/ 51 in 1882, 

 occurring on Lecanium hcsperidum on lemon leaves in Italy. His descrip- 

 tion is as follows: 



/'// /V/7/iMwi hctcrocladum Penzig (Fung. Agrumic. N. 108, Fig. 1193). Hyphis 



* Saccardo, P. A. Sylloge Fungorum, X, p. 546, 1892. 



9 Ibid. IV. p. 152, 1886. 



'"Annuls Roy. Bot. Card., Peradeniya, Vol. Ill, Part T, p. }.", 1906. 



<ii I'.otanici sugle Agrumi c sullc Planti Aflini, p. 398, Tavola XU Fig 3 Roma 

 1887. 



