86 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



insect is frequently associated with dying branchlets, we are inclined 

 to believe that it is an important factor in disfiguring many Norway 

 spruces. Gillanders states that in England healthy spruce trees are 

 not appreciably affected by the presence of this scale insect, though 

 weakly ones are sometimes killed by it and the associated Chermes 

 a b i e t i s Linn. 



This species has, to our knowledge, become established in Brook- 

 lyn, Mount Vernon, Albany and Port Henry, and is probably widely 

 and somewhat generally distributed in the State. The winter is 

 presumably passed by the partly grown young which, according to 

 Gillanders, are rather effectually hidden on the small twigs. New- 

 stead has reared from this insect a Chalcid, Encyrtus scaurus 

 Walk., and it is commonly believed that natural enemies are very 

 effective checks. 



The most promising method of controlling this scale insect is by 

 spraying in early spring with a contact insecticide, especially with an 

 oil as for the somewhat closely related Lecaniums. 



False maple scale (Phenacoccus acericola King) . 

 The report of this office for 19 13, page 59, describes a very serious 

 infestation by this insect upon certain hard maples near the New 

 Haven Railroad station at Mount Vernon. These were so badly 

 infested in 19 13 that practically every leaf bore six to twenty-five of 

 the conspicuous cottony females, while the portions between were 

 thickly spotted and, in some instances, practically coated with the 

 numerous yellowish young. The trunks were also liberally plastered 

 with the white cocoons of the male. 



An examination of this tree in September last, showed it to be in a 

 somewhat weakened condition, there being a few limbs bare of leaves 

 and a few small, dead branches. The infestation was not nearly so 

 severe as that of a year ago, though the trunk of the tree was irregu- 

 larly spotted with the white cocoons and a large proportion of the 

 leaves bore cottony females, there being three to five on almost every 

 leaf. The observation shows that while this insect may become 

 exceedingly abundant in the fall, such an outbreak is not necessarily 

 very injurious to the trees. 



Mulberry white fly (T c t r a 1 c y r o d e s mori Quaint.). Leaves 

 of the Mountain Laurel, Kalmia latifolia, were received in July 

 from Mount Kisco through the State Department of Agriculture and 

 found to be rather thickly infested with this white fly. The oval, 

 black insects about one-thirty-fifth of an inch Long ami margined 

 with a white, waxy secretion which approximately doubled their size, 

 presented a striking appearance. 



