THE RED SCALE OF FLORIDA. 



29 



taken on a single brood the second one observed as that will be suffi- 

 cient for our purpose. >xThe observations were made upon specimens 

 which were colonized on small orange trees in pots in my office in Wash- 

 ington. The rate of the development of the insects was probably slower 

 than would have been the case in the open air in Florida. 



u April 12, 1880, specimens of orange leaves infested by this scale were 

 received from Mr. G. W. Holmes, Orlando, Fla. At this date males 

 were found both in the pupa and adult state. The females also varied 

 in size, and some of them were ovipositing. Eggs were placed on an 

 orange tree for special study. 



"April 13, the eggs began to hatch. The newly-hatched larva (Fig. 



S80 



I<ig. 5. Aspidiotus ficus (Ashui.). 5, scales 011 leaves of orange, natural size; a, scale of female 

 enlarged; b, scale of male, enlarged ; c, young larva; d, e, and/, different stages in the formation of the 

 scale. (After Comstock.) 



oc) is broadly oval in outline and yellow in color. The antenna} are 

 five-jointed ; the three basal joints are very short and nearly equal in 

 length ; the fourth and fifth joints are each longer than the three basal 

 joints together. The fifth joint is strongly tuberculated at tip so as to 

 appear bifurcated. The eyes are prominent and of the same color as 

 the body. The young Iarva3 are quite active, but they settle soon after 

 hatching. Some settled the same day that they hatched. 



"April 14, it was found that the young lice, although only twenty -four- 

 hours old, had formed scales which completely concealed them from 



