THE OLIVE INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA 



51 



the foliage in a very irregular way, while in others they are so thick 

 as to overlap. On the fruit of the olive they occur in small colonies, 

 each group often being composed of a single female and her progeny. 

 The young are born alive and move freely until the first molt, when 

 they lose their legs and must remain throughout the rest of their exist- 

 ence in one spot. Breeding continues almost throughout the entire 

 year in many parts of the state, but it is much more rapid throughout 

 the summer months. 



As in the case of the black scale, the list of known food plants is 

 very large and ever increasing, including, in all countries, the f ollow- 



Fig. 6. The ivy or oleander scale, Aspidiotus Tiederae (Vail.). Drawing of the 

 pygidium of a female. Greatly enlarged. (Original.) 



ing: Acacia, aloe or century plants, asparagus ferns, betel nut, box- 

 wood, buckthorn, butcher's broom, California laurel or pepperwood, 

 cactus, camellia, carob, Carpodetus serratus, cherry, citron, clover, 

 currant, daphne, date palms, eucalyptus, fan palms, genista, grape- 

 fruit, grasses, Hakea alliptica, holly, English ivy, kentia palms, lemon, 

 Afacrozamia, madder, magnolia, manzanita, maple, mistletoe, Monte- 

 rey pine, mulberry, Myrsine retusa, nightshade, oleander, olive, 

 orange, orchids, oxalis, pepper tree, periwinkle, plum, pomegranate, 

 Prunus ~boldus, holly oak, red-bud, redwood, rubber, sago palm, 

 sumach, umbrella plant, umbrella tree, Vitex littoralis, Vriesia 

 splendens, yew and yucca. From this list it will be seen that in- 



