BENEFICIAL INSECTS 



G17 



Fig. C. Tlic Scutellista itivuttilista cyanea 

 Motsch. [Family Eno.vrtidae] ). Tlie adult is 

 a small four-winged parasite, less than one- 

 eighth of an inch long, robust and metallic 

 steel-blue to nearly black in color. The small 

 oblong white eggs are placed under the shell 

 of the black scale. They are somewhat 

 larger than the eggs of the scale and hatch 

 in from five to sis days into crescent-.ihaped 



. white legless laryae. which feed upon the 

 eggs of the black scale for 15 to 20 days, 

 when they pupate and after another like 

 period emerge as adults from the shells of 

 the scale through circular holes cut for this 

 purpose. The adult liyes a little over a week. 

 It does very effective work on the black scale 

 in certain sections. It also works on the 

 hemispherical scale. 



itself readily to explanation but is a case 

 of knowing "when to" and "when not to," 

 as each species requires different care, 

 treatment and temperature. 



At the Insectary we propagate on vari- 

 ous host plants, the destructive forms 

 upon which we feed the beneficial forms 

 that later on are distributed to the or- 

 chards. 



The several pictures accompanying this 

 article will give the reader an idea of the 

 manner in which this work is carried on. 



Still another very interesting phase of 

 the work is the conservation and dis- 

 tribution of native species of beneficial 

 insects. 



Many native species propagate or hyber- 



nate in immense quantities in certain sec- 

 tions of the state, which are collected 

 when available, held in a state of artifi- 

 cial hibernation by the aid of cold storage, 

 later to be judiciously distributed into 

 new sections, where they will thrive and 

 perform wonderful service in destroying 

 destructive forms which are present. 



The most prominent among these which 

 we will use to illustrate this work is a 

 native species of Coccinellidae (Ladybird) 

 known scientifically as Hippodamia con- 

 vergens. This phase of the work has been 

 set forth by the writer in Vol. Ill of The 

 Monthly Bulletin, published by the state 

 commission of horticulture, of which the 

 writer is assistant editor, and from which 

 the following is a portion: 



Throughout California the fact is quite 

 well known that the State Insectary dis- 

 tributes, each year, several tons of coc- 

 cinellids of the species Hippodamia con- 

 vergens, commonly known as ladybirds, to 

 growers of cantaloupes,, prunes, apples, 

 pears, vegetables, seeds and garden truck, 

 for the destruction of aphid species. 



Our growers know that it is only neces- 

 sary to make application to the superin- 

 tendent of the Insectary, for colonies of 

 these beneficial insects, stating the nature 

 and acreage of the crop grown, to receive, 

 at the proper time, a consignment of 

 30,000 for each ten acres, by express, 

 charges paid, and with a free return on 

 the shipping crates. 



This new and very remarkable form of 

 enterprise has proven a great practical 

 success, the ladybirds being used to de- 

 stroy aphids or plant lice that attack the 



Fig 7. Wells Fargo Express taking a load 

 of Ladybirds from the Insectary for delivery 

 to the fruit growers over the state. Several 

 loads a day are taken during the shipping 

 season. Six colonies are put in one crate. 



