UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 1040 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 

 L. O. HOWARD. Cliief 



S^^^^i- 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



April 12, 1922 



CONTROL OF THE CITROPHILUS MEALYBUG/ 



By R. S. WoGLUM,^ Entomologist, and A. D. Boeden,' Assistant Entomologist, 

 Fruit Insect Investigations. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



History and distribution 2 



Economic importance 3 



Host plants 4 



Description and life history 4 



Seasonal history 6 



Page. 



Relation to Argentine ant 8 



Comprehensive demonstrations of 



control 8 



Natural enemies 19 



Summary 20 



INTRODUCTION. 



In the fall of 1913 a mealj^bug infestation was noted on citrus at 

 Upland, Calif., over an area of approximately 3 acres. At first it 

 was assumed to be the common mealybug {Pseudococcm citri Risso), 

 a species highly damaging in some citrus localities but never before 

 reported in the Upland district. Growers were considerably alarmed 

 over the discovery, knowing the severity of this pest and the inef- 

 fectiveness of control in other localities. Considerable damage was 

 done to the infested groves in a hasty attempt at eradication by 

 fumigation. At a convention held at Ontario, Calif., on January 

 30, 1914, the seriousness of the problem was discussed, although no 

 real solution was evolved. A specific determination was made at 

 this time by Essig* as Baker's mealybug {Pseudococcus maritimus 

 Ehrh.), a species then considered as of minor importance to citrus. 

 In September, 1915, Clausen,^ after a brief investigation of the insect, 



^ Pseudococcus gahanl Green ; order Hemiptera, suborder Homoptera, family Coccidse. 

 2 Resigned September 11, 1920. 

 ^ Resigned December 5, 1921. 



* EssiG^ E. O. The mealy bugs of califoenia. In Calif. Mo. Bui., v. 3, no. 3, 

 p. 110-111. 1914. „ o-o 



» Clausen, Curtis P. Mealy bugs op citrus trees. Univ. of Calif., Bui. 2o8, p. 



30-35. 1&15. 



78472 — 22 1 



