CITRUS FRUIT INSECTS I1ST MEDITERRANEAN" COUNTRIES. 19 



has been noted in several instances to cause a heavy dropping of the 

 leaves, and it is one of the commonest scales occurring on the fruit in 

 the markets. This may be partly because it adheres so firmly to the 

 fruit and is not easily removed by rubbing. While it occurs abun- 

 dantly in Sicily it is not extremely injurious to the tree, nor does it dis- 

 tort the fruit as does Aspidiotus hederae. 



NATURAL ENEMIES. 



This scale is especially free from parasites. On one occasion 

 Aspidioiiphagus citrinus was obtained from material infested by 

 zizyplius, but it can not be positively stated that there were not a few 

 purple scales among the material, so the record remains doubtful. 



THE OLEANDER SCALE. 



Aspidiotus hederae Vail. 1 

 DISTRIBUTION AND INJURY. 



The cosmopolitan and omnivorous oleander scale is found through- 

 out Spain and Italy and is an important pest on ripe lemons in the 

 latter country during the spring and early summer. (PI. Ill, figs. 

 1 and 2.) It was also observed on oranges in Spain, but is less injuri- 

 ous on oranges there than on lemons in Italy. In California the same 

 scale occurs occasionally on old over-ripe oranges and lemons, but is 

 of no commercial importance. In May and June it is really a pest of 

 much economic importance in Italy. If such infestation occurred in 

 California, it would certainly mean fumigation. As much as 90 per 

 cent of the fruit in some of the by-product factories has been seen 

 infested with this scale. Most of such fruit was brought there because 

 of it. 



The oleander scale very seriously distorts the growth of the lemon 

 in Italy. (PL III, fig. 1.) Where the scale occurs there will be a 

 depression, so that the fruit has a rough and uneven appearance and 

 when numerous it becomes badly misshapen and distorted. The scale 

 also delays the coloring of the lemon, and such fruit can be distin- 

 guished at a long distance by its blotches of yellow and green. While 

 the inferior fruit caused by the scale is considerable in Italy, it is 

 not a complete loss because it is acceptable for the by-product fac- 

 tory. On the Amalfi coast, where fruit of the finest texture is pro- 

 duced, it would seem that spra3 r ing, at a time when the young first 

 appear, would in many cases be profitable. 



NATURAL ENE1VUES. 



A species of Aphelinus is the commonest parasite on this scale in 

 Italy. On host plants other than Citrus this parasite was some- 

 times seen in very large numbers. Aspidioiiphagus citrinus has also 

 been taken from A. hederae. 



1 Italian, Bianca; Sicilian, Bianca o rugna. 



