32 



appointed, introduced the process of fumigation with hydrocyanic 

 acid gas previously employed in America and elsewhere. This has 

 proved to be the only really satisfactory method of dealing with the 

 Black Scale and the fumigation campaign has increased in size yearly 

 from the time of its initiation up to the present. Last year L.E. 34,000 

 was expended on the fumigation campaign, the greater part of which 

 was recovered by the fees charged. 



As Upper Egypt is almost entirely free from this pest a law 

 was introduced controlling the transport of nursery stock into this 

 clean area and making fumigation compulsory in all gardens within 

 the area which were found to be infected. As a result of this measure 

 the Black Scale in not only being prevented from spreading in Upper 

 Egypt but is actually being reduced and it is hoped that in time it 

 will be stamped out altogether. 



In Egypt it is to be feared that artificial methods of control 

 will always have to be employed as the climate is much too dry to 

 permit of a parasitic fungus meeting with any success as in the British 

 West Indies and the natural enemies which occur, namely, Chilocorus 

 bipustulatus and one or more members of the family Chalcididce, 

 are not very effective. 



38. Chrysomphalus (Aspidiotus) aurantii Mask. (THE RED SCALE). 



BIBLIOGRAPHY : Newstead, Mon. Brit. Cocc., Vol. i, p. 88. 

 Green, Cocc. of Ceylon, Part i, p. 58. 



Female puparium circular ; median area convex. Colour pale 

 yellowish grey, semi-transparent, showing the form and colour of the 

 insect beneath it. Pellicles central, reddish, obscured by a layer 

 of secretion ; a small prominent spot and concentric ring of whitish 

 secretion in the centre of the first pellicle. Ventral scale well developed 

 adhering to the insect, as does the dorsal scale also, making the 

 extraction of the insect difficult except by dissolving the puparium 

 in caustic potash. Adult female dull orange (after Green loc. cit.). 



Diameter of female puparium 2 millimetres. 



HOST PLANTS. 



Euphorbiaceae ' ... Phyllanthus sp., *Ricimis communis (Castor 



Oil tree). 



Leguminosae Bauhinia sp., Ceratonia siliqua. 



Moraceae Morus sp. 



Oleacese Olea sp. 



Palmaceae Phoenix dactylifera (Date Palm). 



Rosacese *Prumis domestica (Plum), *Pyrus cydonia 



(Quince), *Pyrus malus (Apple), *Ro.?a 



sp. (Rose). 

 Uutaceae *Citrus spp. 



