402 



Insect Pests. 



ring 2 or 3 inches wide of these creatures underneath the paper, 

 so it appears the band is a great harbour for them." In the same 

 year a nurseryman, writing from "Woking, stated " that plums and 

 young standard apples are covered with the insects." Informa- 

 tion sent that they were not injurious brought the following reply : 

 " I have very carefully watched them on the trees, and I believe 

 your statement to be quite correct as to their being, if anything, 

 beneficial ; they were feeding on the green growth of the trees, and 

 were only found where there was any to feed upon." 



The red ova of these mites were also received from Ross, on apple, 

 pear and plum in the same year, where Mr. Getting informed me 

 they were appearing in great numbers. 

 The globular brick-dust shiny red 

 eggs are deposited in masses side by 

 side, often giving the trees a rusty- 

 red appearance. The date of hatching 

 seems variable. In 1904 eggs were 

 sent from Hereford on the 20th of 

 March. In the same year they had 

 all hatched in Kent early in the 

 month (3). 



They still further increased in Kent 

 in 1900 (4), when they occurred in 

 countless numbers in very many 

 orchards. They were noticed at 

 Marden occurring in masses under 

 the bark of apple trees in November, 



also in many localities around Maidstone and in Thanet, and also 

 near Malvern. 



Ormerod(o) refers to 0. lapidaria as occurring in vast numbers 

 on the stems of Xylelorus-infested trees, and suggested that they 

 might be preying upon the " Ambrosia " fungus of the beetles, and 

 thus would be acting beneficially. 



Speaking generally, we may say that these acari are beneficial. 



[IF*. //. II. 

 FIG. 270. LARVAL BKKTLK MITES 



(Oribatidie). 



(Enlarged.) 



REFERENCES. 



(1) Theobald, F. V. Journal S. E. Agricultural College, No. 6, p. 11 



(1897). 



(2) Theobald, F. V. First Report on Economic Zoology (Brit. Mus. N.H.), 



p. 77 (1903). 



(3) Theobald, F. V. Report on Economic Zoology for the year ending 



April 1st, 1905, p. 40 (1905). 



