28 NATURAL ENEMIES OF THE COCCIM. 



countries will be able to establish themselves outdoors 

 in the British Isles, but all species introduced from 

 temperate regions should be regarded with suspicion 

 and dealt with accordingly. 



Besides the dissemination of Coccids on plants by 

 human agencies, the minute larvae may sometimes be 

 carried long distances by the wind and birds, and also 

 by various insects. Otherwise the distribution of the 

 Coccids would necessarily be of a very limited cha- 

 racter. 



NATURAL ENEMIES OP THE 



In foreign countries certain of the Coccinellidae play 

 a most important part in keeping the Coccidae in check. 

 The Vedalia cardinalis (a small ladybird beetle, re- 

 sembling somewhat our Coccinella bipunctata), of Aus- 

 tralian origin, is world-famed for its usefulness in 

 destroying the Icerya Pitrchasi, or " fluted scale." A 

 few years since the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture imported this insect into certain districts in 

 the States, where it has done magnificent work in 

 checking the ravages of the Icerya. It has also IKVII 

 introduced into Egypt and South Africa with the same 

 excellent results. So far the Coccinellidse are not 

 known to attack the Coccidse in this country, although 

 they are known to feed extensively on the plant-lice 

 or Aphidae. 



Brachytarsus varius and B. scabrosus are the only 

 beetles at present known to be parasitic on the Coccidas 

 of this country. In August, 1890, I bred specimens 

 of the former species from Lecanium, sp., and subse- 

 quently from Physokermes abietis, Geoff., both taken at 

 Delamere Forest, Cheshire. As it is no uncommon 

 occurrence to find ruptured female Lecania, I am of 

 opinion Brachytarsus feeds more extensively upon 

 Coccids than may be generally supposed. 



I have occasionally observed the lace- wing fly (Chry- 



