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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



APRICOT PESTvS 



The apricot is not the particular host 

 of a large number ot insects. In general 

 its enemies are those common to other 

 fruit trees ot the same family. 



Black Scale 



Saissetia oleae Bern. 



General Appearance 



Black, oval, tough-skinned scales with 

 a distinct "H" on the back of half and 

 full grown females. From one-eighth to 

 one-fourth of an inch in diameter. The 



Fig. 1. Full Grown Specimens of Blacli Scale. 

 Saissetia olcae (Bern.), at base of niKbtshade 

 plant. Man.y of tliese were under tbe sur- 

 face of tbe soil. (Essig. P. C. Jr. Ent. ) 



young vary from light yellow to brown. 

 The males are very minute and scarcely 

 ever seen. The eggs are nearly globular 

 and slightly amber in color. 



Life History 



The females deposit from 50 to 300 eggs, 

 covering a period of from two to four 

 weeks. The most are laid during the 

 months of May, June and first half of 

 July, though in some sections all stages 

 of the insect may be found. Young half- 

 grown scales are most abundant from 

 September 15th to December 15th and the 



full-grown females from February 15th to 

 July 15th. They work principally upon 

 the leaves of the trees, when they are 

 young, but later are found almost wholly 

 on the limbs. 



Food Plants 



All citrus trees, olive, apricot, guava, 

 honey locust, Irish juniper, pomegranate, 

 Lombardy poplar, apple, prune, plum, al- 

 mond, pear, sycamore, oleander, pepper 

 (Schimis molle), sumach, (Rhus), moun- 

 tain holly or Christmas berry (Hetero- 

 meles arbtitifoUa) . Baccharis viminea. 

 rubber tree, Hahrothamnus, Myoporum, 

 Melaleuca, laurel, holly, beech, ash, buck- 

 thorn, maple, GreviUea, Ligustrum. night- 

 shade, Antidesma, Duranta, Grewia, The- 

 spesia. Cajanus, magnolia, eucalyptus, 

 grape, camellia, phlox, watermelon and 

 asters. 



Control 



Fumigation: On citrus trees fumigate 

 with from one-half to three-fourths sched- 

 ule No. 1, between September 1st and 

 .lanuai-y 1st. If the hatch is very even 

 and the work can be done early, the one- 

 half schedule is sufficient, but for ordi- 

 nary work three-fourths of the schedule 

 is required. 



Sprays: On deciduous fruit and olive 

 trees the following sprays may be used 

 when the scales are not more than half 

 grown: Water distillate caustic soda 

 mechanical mixture and distillate emul- 

 sion. 



Natural Enemies 



The ladybird beetles, Rhiznhius ven- 

 tralis, steel blue {Orcus chalybeiis), OUa 

 plagiata and Axion plagiatus work on the 

 young scales; the parasites. Scutellista 

 cyanea and Tomocera californica Haw., on 

 the eggs and the internal parasite, Aphy- 

 ciis flavus How., on the male scale. 



E. O. Essio 



Common Termite 



Termes lucifugus Rossi. 

 General Appearance 



The workers of this species are rather 

 small, being shown as natural size in Fig. 

 1. They are transparently white in color, 

 the contents of the alimentary canal giv- 



