228 



Insect Pests. 



liatched out in tlie first week in .Tudc, and ga\-e lise to mature 

 females in August, which deposited eggs that liatclied out in 

 September. The majority of these were fully developed females liy 

 tlu' 20th of Octolier, and from the e.sgs laid l.iy these there sprung 

 larva', whicli I also found on the Imshes in Xovendjer. It thus 

 seems tiiat in Kent, and probably elsewhere, there may Ije as many 

 as three lu'dOils of this Coccid, but usually there is only one brood. 



The insect passes tire winter in the full grown larval stage, scarcely 

 ^■isillle to the naked eye and rarely in the egg stage (o) 

 These larva' have a distinct reddish hue in the spring. 

 Uidike the previous species, the larva' are not atfecteil by light. 



Those observed secured very fond 

 of wandering about amongst the 

 green alga- on the bushes, with 

 which many were covered. The 

 male is quite unknown, the species 

 presumably breeding entirely 

 asexually. 



The gooselierry is attacked just 

 as much as the currant, and especi- 

 ally bushes beneath standard fruit 

 trees. This scale has been recorded 

 from most parts i.if England, and I 

 have observed it in north "Wales. 



Xewstead (1) is of opinion that 



it is merely a variety of Lcviiiiinin 



ixyslcd' (Geoftrov). 



Curtis (4) refers to this insect as LirKniiuii licsjin-iil imi , merely 



more elongated forms due, according to Xewstead, to the exigency of 



the insects on the twigs. 



One noticeable feature in this insect is that very distinct white 

 scars remain for a considerable time on the bushes tiie dead insects 

 are removed froirr (Fig. 17-!). 



Fir,. 17:!.— Tnr.XC, WIXTEI; F0I;3I OF BKUIVX 



i;ui:i;.\XT sr.u.K. i.nwFii hxe alive, uppei; 



KII.IEP I!V l'.Vi;.\FFIX EMUI.SIOX. 



Xatveal Enemies. 

 Xumerous natural enemies prey upon these Currant I'occida' : of 

 these liy far the most important are T>adyliird T.cetles (Co<ri mllida), 

 but, unfortunately, in Britain we have few, if any, that help us in this 

 respect. The importation of foreign Ladybirds has been undertaken 

 (o and li) with the hope of accliiuatising .some scale-feeding species in 

 this country. Results \\i\\i the Vnhilid curdiiui/is and the Orange 

 Scale {Iirrijd jiin-c/iii.si) in Amei'ica lia\-e lieen so successful that we 



