396 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE ORANGE. 



the female, but is only one-fourth the size, the posterior side 

 being prolonged into a flap, which is quite thin. The scales 

 are represented of the natural size on the leaf and twig. 

 The perfect male insect, which is winged, as shown, highly 

 magnified, at a in Fig. 406, is light yellow, with a brown 

 band on the thorax, and purplish- black eyes. The eggs are 

 of an ovoid form and bright-yellow color, from twenty to 

 forty being found under each scale. 



This species appears to confine itself to the trees belonging 

 to the Citrus family, and infests the trunk, limbs, leaves, and 

 fruit, sometimes covering the latter to such an extent as to 

 render it unfit for market. Where these insects are very 

 numerous, the leaves turn yellow, and sometimes drop from 

 the trees. In Southern California there are five or six broods 

 during the year; hence it is spreading with great rapidity, 

 and is perhaps more to be dreaded than any other scale-insect 

 in this country. Many groves in Los Angeles and in other 

 sections of Southern California have been seriously injured 

 by it. The orange-groves in Australia have suffered from 

 the same pest. 



No. 253. The Circular Scale. 



Aspidiotus ficus Riley. 



This is known as the red scale of Florida. In Fig. 407 

 the scales are shown of the natural size on the leaves of an 

 orange-tree ; a, the scale of the female ; b, that of the male ; 

 c, the young larva; e and/, different stages in the formation 

 of the scale ; all these are highly magnified. Thus far it has 

 been found only in the orange-groves of Florida. It mul- 

 tiplies with great rapidity, and infests indiscriminately the 

 limbs, leaves, and fruit. 



The scale of the female (a) is circular, and varies from 

 a light to a dark reddish-brown color, with a gray margin ; 

 that of the male (b) is about one-fourth the size of the female 

 scale, and of a dark reddish brown, with a white centre, and 

 is prolonged into a thin flap, of a grayish color. 



