126 MISCELLANEOUS STUDIES 



150. Aphis viburnicolens n.sp. 



Becords. Viburnum tinua; Riverside, February to May, 1917; Redlands, Feb- 

 ruary, 1917; Orange, February, 1917: Laurus rotoundifolia, Riverside, March, 

 1917. 



In the early spring there is a small green and black aphid that 

 attacks in great numbers the racemes of laurustinus and laurel in 

 Southern California. In fact, it is so abundant at times as to seriously 

 injure the plants by preventing them from flowering. The leaves 

 and buds are very sticky and covered with the sooty mold fungus. 

 During April, 1917, all the aphids left the laurel and laurustinus, but 

 the alternate host has as yet not been observed. Specimens were sent 

 to Gillette and Patch for determination, but neither could identify 

 them. Dr. Patch wrote as follows: 



This insect is not spiraecola, a slide of which I am sending you. 



spiraecola sp. 



Cornicles longer than III Cornicles shorter than III 



VI spur longer than III VI spur subequal to III 



VI spur longer than IV and V VI spur subequal to IV and V 



IV subequal to V IV longer than V 



I do not know this species. I do not have spiraeella Schout. for comparison. 



Gillette stated concerning this species: "This is a species of Aphis 

 close to, but almost certainly distinct from, spiraeella Schout., and so 

 far as we know, may be new. ' ' 



From this it would appear that the species from laurustinus and 

 laurel is a new species, and it is described herewith as such. 19 Cotype 

 specimens are in the author's private collection, in the collection of 

 the University of California in Berkeley, and of the Citrus Experi- 

 ment Station in Riverside. 



Alate viviparous female. Prevailing color green. Head and 

 thorax dusky brown to black. Antennae dusky to black. Beak light 

 brown with tip black. Tibiae, femora of fore legs, and basal one-half 

 of femora of middle and hind legs brown ; tarsi, tips of tibiae, tips of 

 fore femora, and apical one-half of middle and hind femora black. 

 Abdomen pale to apple green, sometimes with a few dusky marginal 

 spots. Cornicles and cauda black. 



is The species reported by Davidson (Jour. Econ. Ent., vol. 3, p. 377, 1910) 

 as Aphis mali Fabr. from Lauras laurustinus (Viburnum tinus?) and by Essig 

 (Injurious and Beneficial Insects of California, Mon. Bull. Cal. Comm. Hort., 

 Supp. vol. 4, p. xlvi, 1915) as Aphis pomi De Geer from laurustinus, are probably 

 this species. 



