75 



a serious pest of sugar-cane ; when this happens the ripening 

 canes are attacked, and the entire internal portion eaten out. 

 No nests of these insects could be found in or near the fields 

 in which the attacks occurred, and no remedy was applied. 

 Areas in these fields, including more land than that 

 actually infected by termites were planted with cotton for 

 two or three years. The termites do not seem to feed on the 

 roots of the cotton, and as these fields have since been 

 replanted in canes and no return of the termites observed, 

 it would seem that this practice is successful. 



CITKUS FEUITS. 

 SCALE INSECTS. Hemiptera. 



Citrus trees in the West Indies are attacked by several 

 species of scale insects of which the most important is the 

 mussel or purple scale (Lepidosaphes beckii). The green scale 

 (Coccus viridis) has in the past few years developed to a 

 considerable extent, as a pest of citrus, especially of limes. 

 The white scale (Chionaspis citri) is of general distribution 

 throughout the islands, and is to be seen on the trunks and 

 branches of nearly every lime and other citrus tree, except 

 in districts where the rainfall and general humidity are 

 especially great. Other scale insects which are found on 

 citrus trees, but have not become pests except in rare 

 instances, are the red-spotted scale (Chrysomphalus aonidum\ 

 the red scale (Chrysomphalus aurantii), the chaff scale 

 (Parlatoria pergandei) and the Lantana bug (Orthezia 

 insignis). 



THE PURPLE SCALE (Lepidosaphes beckii, Newrn.). 



This is an elongate insect, tapering from very narrow 

 at the anterior to broad at the posterior end ; the colour is 

 light-brown or purplish. The female scale is larger and 

 more tapering in outline than the male. 



The purple scale (Fig. 82) which has long been known 

 as a very serious pest of citrus trees in the West Indies, 

 occurs on leaves and twigs. On the leaves, a number of 

 these scales will generally be found grouped together on the 

 under surface. The location of these groups is usually 

 indicated by a yellowish, discoloured spot. On the twigs, 

 these insects sometimes occur in such numbers as to form a 



