88 [ DISEASES OF CITRUS TREES 



fly having a red body, six legs and a pair of long 

 transparent wings. 



The scale insects have numerous enemies which 

 prey upon them during all the stages of their growth. 

 Thus the Coccinellidae or ladybirds, a tribe of Coleoptera 

 are the great friends of the orchard. Their larva as well 

 as the perfect insect wage a relentless war on the 

 parasites. In this Island we may find the following 

 ladybirds. 



Coccinella septempunctata Lin. Is oval-shaped, the 

 size of a half pea. Its colour may be orange-yellow, 

 orange-scarlet or blood-red. It has seven black spots, 

 three upon each forewing or elytrum, and one in the 

 middle, near the thorax. Thorax black with white spots. 

 It is very common throughout the summer on trees and 

 plants infested with aphids. 



Coccinella undecimnotata Lin. A little smaller than 

 the preceding and of the same form. Its elytra are 

 yellow with eleven black spots, 5 on each side and one 

 in the middle near the thorax. This species and the 

 following are rare insects. 



Halizia decempunctata Lin. Is a little smaller than 

 the preceding with 10 black spots on the elytra, which 

 are yellow. 



Chilocorus bipustulatus Lin. Has a black shining 

 round body, about 3 m.m. long, with two red transverse- 

 ly elongated spots on each forewing. This species and 

 the following are the two most common ladybirds in our 

 Citrus groves, and prey chiefly on the larvae of armoured 

 scales. 



Exochomtis quadripustulatus Lin., is somewhat 

 larger than the preceding, and is of the same colour, but 

 has four red spots on the elytra, two on each side. 



Adalia bipunctata Lin., is oval, black or dark brown 

 with a large red spot half way on the outer margin of 

 the elytra, on each side. It is about 3 m.m. in length, 



