402 The Philippine Journal of Science 1923 



Ligustrum ibota Sub. (Ibota.) 



Ligustrum japonicum Thunb. (Nezumimochi.) 



Ligustrum medium F. and S. (Obaibota.) 



It appears to me that Ligustrum ibota and Fraxinus bungeana 

 var. pubinervis are the two plants on which the scale is com- 

 monly found about Tokyo, and commercial wax production is 

 principally obtained upon the last-named plant. In Kiushu, 

 however, I found it upon Ligustrum japonicum. In China (19) 

 the scale is cultivated on Ligustrum lucidum Sit. and on Frax- 

 inus chinensis. I collected the scale upon the former in a park 

 at Shanghai which I visited en route to Japan after a trip to 

 the South Sea Islands and India in 1921. 



NATURAL ENEMIES 

 According to Sasaki (17) there is an encyrtid parasite (En- • 

 cyrtus sp.) that attacks the scale, and Yano(20) states that 

 Brachyiarsus niveovariegatus Roelofs attacks the female scale 

 heavily, while Chilocorus similis Rossi and C. tristis Fold, often 

 attack the larvas. He also mentions a species of Cecidomyidse 

 bred from the female scale. Unfortunately, I have not had 

 the opportunity to study the natural enemies of this scale. 



ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF THE WAX PRODUCT 



Ericerus pela is not cultivated in Japan for the purpose of 

 wax production, although the scale develops freely on Ligustrum 

 ibota, Fraxinus bungeana var. pubinervis, and other plants in 

 the wild state, and peasants often collect the wax in the autumn 

 for the market. The raw wax product is sold in drug stores 

 under the name of ibota-ro and is commonly employed as a 

 polish on furniture and other woodwork. 



In western China, however, the production of insect white 

 wax has been a most important industry for centuries. About 

 the end of August the white coating is scraped from the branches 

 of Fraxinus chinensis and Ligustrum lucidum and thrown into 

 boiling water, in which the wax melts and floats to the surface. 

 It is collected by being skimmed off, and while in a plastic state 

 is molded into thick saucerlike cakes. The wax is colorless and 

 inodorous, tasteless, brittle, and readily pulverizes at 60° F. 

 It is slightly soluble in alcohol and dissolves with great facility 

 in naphtha, out of which fluid it may be crystallized. It melts 

 at about 180° F., is lighter than water, and is said to harden by 

 long immersion in cold water. This insect white wax is largely 

 used in the manufacture of candles and in paper glazing, but it 

 is also used in medicine shops as a coating for pills, and is itself 



