402 



Insect Pests. 



ring 2 or 3 inches wide of these creatures underneath the paper, 

 so it appears the band is a great harbour for them." In the same 

 year a nurseryman, writing from Woking, stated " that plums and 

 young standard apples are covered with the insects." Informa- 

 tion sent that they were not injurious brought the following reply : 

 " I have very carefully watched them on the trees, and I believe 

 your statement to be quite correct as to their being, if anything, 

 beneficial; they were feeding on the green growth of the trees, and 

 were only found where there was any to feed upon." 



The red ova of these mites were also received from Eoss, on apple, 

 pear and plum in the same year, where Mr. Getting informed me 

 they were appearing in great numbers. 

 The globular brick-dust shiny red 

 eggs are deposited in masses side by 

 side, often giving the trees a rusty- 

 red appearance. The date of hatching 



sent from Hereford on the 20th of 

 March. In the same year they had 

 all hatched in Kent early in the 

 month (3 ). 



They still furtlier increased in Kent 

 in 190G (4), when they occurred in 

 countless numbers in very many 

 orchards. They were noticed at 

 Marden occurring in masses under 

 the bark of apple trees in November, 



also in many localities around Maidstone and in Thanet, and also 



near Malvern. 



Ormerod (5) refers to 0. lapidaria as occurring in vast numbers 



on the stems of X?//c•?>o/v^s'-iufested trees, and suggested that they 



might be preying upon the " Ambrosia " fungus of the beetles, and 



thus would be acting beneficially. 



Speaking generally, we may say that these acari are beneficial. 



-LARVAL BEETLE MITES 

 (Oi-ibatkhr). 



(Enlarged.) 



Keferences. 



(1) Theobald, F. V. Journal S. E. Agricultural College, No. 6, p. 11 



(1897). 



(2) Theobald , F. V. First Report on Economic Zoology (Brit. Mus. N.H.), 



p. 77 (1903). 

 (3j Theobald, F. V. Report on Economic Zoology for the year ending 

 April 1st, 1905, p. 40 (1905). 



