268 



THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



ITS IMPORTATION AND SPREAD. 



In Los Angeles, San Jose, California, 

 and, indeed, in various parts of the State, 

 it is quite numerous on the Orange, and is 

 there known as the " Red Scale." The 

 orange tree has but lately been introduced 

 and grown in California, and this particular 

 species is, therefore, not indigenous there. 

 Where, therefore, did it come from, and 

 how was it introduced into the State ? 

 These are two very important questions. 

 Now, the commercial relations existing be- 

 tween the Californians with the people of 

 China, Japan and Australia, point to one 

 of these countries as its original home or 

 starting point, from which it has spread. 

 Indeed, many oranges have been imported 

 from all these places, and it would not be 

 surprising to me if, like our own Long Scale 

 {Aspidiotus Gloverii), the Red Scale had 

 been imported in the same manner, /. e., 

 on the leaves, branches or twigs of an im- 

 ported tree. It has evidently been intro- 

 duced into Florida this way. 



ITS FOOD-PLANT. 



Prof. Riley states that he first found it 

 on the Ficus nitida ; this, I presume, is an 

 exotic species of Fig. I see by the Pacific 

 Rural Press, that this, or an allied species, 

 had been found on the Apple trees in San 

 Jose, Gal. With the Orange, it attacks the 

 fruit, leaves and twigs, seeming to like one 

 about as well as another. 



ITS NATURAL HISTORY. 



I have not been able to thoroughly work 

 up this insect, for want of specimens. 

 From specimens received at different times, 

 there would seem to be at least three 

 broods, if not more, during the year. The 

 first brood probably hatches in May ; the 

 second, from last of July to second week 

 in August ; and the third, from last of 

 September to first week in October. 



DESCRIPTIVE. 



Pggs. — From 1 8 to 30 under each scale, 

 less than .01 of an inch in length, ovoid, 

 smooth, not quite twice as long as broad, 

 of a bright yellow, promiscuously inclosed 

 in body-walls of dead female. 



Larva. — Length of body less than .01 

 of an inch, nearly twice as long as wide, 

 bright yellow, ovoid, much wider towards 

 head, being widest at thoracic segments ; 

 two very short anal setae, hinder margin 

 rough from numerous small fleshy tuber- 

 cles, with a few short hairs around margin, 

 no indentations as in Ceroplastes rusci ; 

 antennas, 6-jointed (not easily made out 

 with my microscope, which is of a low 

 power); basal joint short and stout, nearly 

 as wide as long ; joints 2 and 3 less wide and 

 of equal size ; joints 4 and 5 about equal, 

 each longer and thicker than 2 and 3 to- 

 gether; joint 6 much thinner, ending at tip 

 in 2 long hairs, the inner being longest ; an 

 inner and outer hair on basal joint, with 

 two inner and two outer ones on joints 

 above these ; legs ending in a feeble claw 

 and four digituli, the two upper being long- 

 est ; femora thickly swollen, with a distinct 

 lobe near base, from which a sharp spine 

 issues. I have never noticed this in any 

 other scale insect. 



Fetnale Scale. — Form, round or circular, 

 flattened slightly, rising towards centre, 

 of from a reddish ■ to a blackish-brown 

 color, paler at margin, measuring from .04 

 to .12 of an inch in diameter ; in the centre 

 is a slight depression, in larger specimens 

 .02 to .03 of an inch in diameter, and of a 

 bright golden yellow, with a small brown 

 cap. 



REMEDY. 



Mr. Holmes writes me, under date of 

 August 6th, as follows : "As you request, 

 I forward you by this mail a box contain- 

 ing specimens of the Chrysomphalus ficus, 

 which I hope may reach you in good order. 

 They have not done me any material dam- 

 age as yet, but I keep my trees in very 

 healthy condition and thrifty growth, as I 

 have a large drove of cattle, and can cow- 

 pen them. In my experiments for their 

 removal, I have been most successful in 

 the use of a strong brine of salt and water 

 applied twice, at intervals of two weeks. 

 It is heroic treatment and takes the leaves 

 off, but the scale comes with them, and, 

 if done just prior to a growing season, they 

 soon send out a luxuriant new growth and 



