IXSECTS AFFECTING PARK AND WOODLAND TREES 



199 



/T"^^. 



appearance of this scale insect from the Washinjj^ton shade trees at the 

 close of 1S79. The caterpillar is stated to not onl)' destnjy the old female 

 scale insects, but also the eggs and young larvae. A more important 

 species than the preceding, according to the experience of I)r Howard, is a 

 minute chalcid fl)- known as Coccophagus lecanii I-'itch. Dr How- 

 ard states that the activity of this parasite in 1898 made it almost impos- 

 sible to carry the cottony maple scale through the season at Washington, 

 and that less than \''c attained maturit)'. His observations show that this 

 parasite de\elops very rapidly, the life cycle occupying not more than 2 or 

 3 weeks. This permits a very rapid increase in its numbers and adds mate- 

 rially to the value of the parasite. This little insect even gained access to 

 the breeding cages in the insectary at Washington and threatened the 

 destruction of all the insects. 



Coccophagus fla- 

 v o s c u t e 1 1 u m Ashm. is a 

 more southern species than 

 the preceding, and according 

 to Dr Howard, is almost 

 equally effective in the south- 

 ern portions of this insect's 

 habitat. Atropates col- 

 li nsi How., is another 

 important parasite of this 

 insect which was reared by 

 Dr Howard from Brooklyn material. A single specimen of Eunotus 

 1 i v i d u s Ashm. was also reared from material sent from Brookl\-n. 

 Two other parasites, A p h y c u s p u 1 v i n a r i a e How., and C o m )• s 

 fusca How., are known to live on this species. Aphis lions or larvae 

 of lace-winged flies were observed by Dr Howard preying on the young of 

 this insect, and a species of harvest mite attacks the pest as stated by 

 Miss Murtfeldt. 



Remedies. Brushing with a stiff broom will dislodge many insects. 



Fig. 32 Eunotus 1 1 v i d u s, greatly enlarged, with male and female 

 antennae above still more enlarged and cocoons under old scale at 

 left, also enlarged. (After Howard. U. S. Dep't .\gric. Div. Ent. 

 Bui. J2. n. s. 1900) 



