UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



,,„ BULLETIN No. 351 i 



Iff^ Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology, ~ 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology, 

 L. O. HOWARD, Chief. 



S'mHr^^u 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER. 



April 22, 1916 



THE TERRAPIN SCALE :^ AN IMPORTANT INSECT 

 ENEMY OF PEACH ORCHARDS. 



By F. L. SiMANTON, Entomological Assistant, Deciduous Fruit Insect Investigations. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



History 2 



Distribution 2 



Economic importance 3 



Injury 3 



Food plants 4 



Life history 4 



Seasonal history 61 



Mortality 61 



Page. 



Attendants. 62 



Predaceous enemies 63 



Parasites 65 



Sooty molds 66 



Remedial measures 67 



Summary 86 



Recommendations for control 89 



Bibliography 90 



INTRODUCTION. 



For several years the terrapin scale, Eulecaniu TnnigrofasciatuTn Per- 

 gande, has been increasing in abundance in certain localities in the 

 eastern United States, and complaints have recently come to the 

 Bureau of Entomology from orchardists in numerous localities within 

 the Appalachian peach belt of severe injury to peaches, and of inability 

 to control the insect with the materials commonly used. 



In order to investigate the insect under favorable conditions the 

 Office of Deciduous Fruit Insect Investigations of the Bureau of 

 Entomology maintained a field laboratory during the seasons of 1912 

 and 1913 at Mont Alto, Pa., which is well within the limits of the 

 badly infested area. The following pages contain a record of 

 the life-history studies made, together with a short historical account 

 of the species. A detailed account is also given of its habits and of 

 the remedies that have been devised for its control. 



The author wishes to acknowledge the assistance of Dr. A. L. 

 Quaintance, under whose direction this investigation was conducted, 

 and to thank Messrs. D. M. Wertz and Aaron Newcomer for the use 

 of their orchards and spraying machinery. 



Eulecanium nigrofasciatum Pergande. 



20782°— Bull. 351—16 



-1. 



