ENTOMOLOGY 117 



citrus industry of the Pacific coast. The nature and habits of this 

 insect made it almost impervious to any insecticide washes, and the 

 orange growers of California were rapidly losing heart. 



In 1889, however, through the agency of Mr. Albert Koebele, an 

 assistant of this office, the natural ladybird enemy of the fluted scale 

 was discovered in Australia and imported into California. This lady- 

 bird, Novius (Vedalia) cardinalis, multiplied prodigiously and in a 

 very short time practically exterminated the fluted scale, saved the 

 State of California annual damage amounting to hundreds of thou- 

 sands of dollars, and removed this scale insect from the roll of 

 dreaded injurious species. 



The beneficial results derived from this ladybird have not been 

 confined to California. Through the agency of this Department and 

 in co-operation with the California State authorities, this ladybird 

 has been sent to South Africa, Egypt, Portugal, and Italy, and in 

 each of these countries its introduction has been followed by similar 

 beneficial results in the control of the fluted scale. 



While the fluted scale, at the time or soon after its injurious rec- 

 ord in California, gained access to several foreign countries, very for- 

 tunately Florida and the Gulf districts remained long free from it. 



The first and presumably only introduction of this insect into 

 Florida was an intentional one, though not malicious, and illustrates 

 the risk run in importations of beneficial insects undertaken by per- 

 sons unfamiliar with the subject. A nurseryman of Hillsboro 

 County, Fla., hoping to duplicate against the common Florida scale 

 insects the wonderful work of the imported Australian ladybird 

 against the fluted scale in California, and, ignorant of the fact that 

 the ladybird in question did not feed on any of the armored scales 

 which he especially wished to have controlled by it, got one of the 

 county horticultural commissioners of California to ship him a lot 

 of these ladybirds, together with some of the fluted s<;ale as food. The 

 whole lot was liberated on his premises and resulted, naturally 

 enough, in stocking some of his trees very thoroughly with the fluted 

 scale. The infestation coming to his attention, he sent, in June, 

 1894, specimens to the Division of Entomology and they were 

 promptly determined as the dreaded California scale pest. Fortu- 

 nately, the nurseryman in question realized the enormity of his of- 

 fense and took, at Dr. Howard's earnest suggestion, immediate and 

 active measures to exterminate the fluted scale on his premises, ulti- 

 mately taking out and burning the trees. 



It was hoped that extermination had been effected, but four 

 years later (1898) the fluted scale was again received from the same 

 district. In view of Us quite general spread, as reported, in the im- 

 mediate region, it seemed improbable that it could be easily extermi- 

 nated, and the introduction of the Australian ladybird was urgently 

 advised. During the spring and summer of 1899 the ladybird in 

 question was successfully colonized in Florida by Mr. Gossard, with 

 the assistance of Mr. Craw. 



The fluted scale in Florida evidently does not multiply as rapidly 

 as it does in California. Furthermore, as shown by Mr. Gossard, it 



