75 



must be regarded as possessing weight. More- 

 over, Mr. 0. Heidemann, who has charge of 

 the hemipterous collection ^in the National 

 Museuni, Washington, informed the Commission 

 that neither Chelinidea nor its ally Narnia was 

 known to attack any plants other than Cactacea3, 

 this statement being confirmed by other ento- 

 mologists. 



Narnia, spp. (Coreidae). 

 These gregarious fruit-sucking bugs, though 

 somewhat more slender insects, resemble Cheli- 

 nidea in their general appearance, size, and 

 habits. Their attacks are directed against 

 the fruit, which is often destroyed, the com- 

 mon species of Narnia not being recorded as 

 injuring the joints. The commonest species in 

 Texas is N. palUdicornis, Stal., which is illus- 

 trated and fully described in C.I., p. 33, pi. 7, 

 fig. 4. It is said to occur throughout the season 

 (p. 41). N. femorata, Stal., a rather larger 

 species, is also common in Texas, but is much 

 more widely distributed. 



N. palUdicornis is found in Southern Texas, 

 its range extending into Arizona, California, and 

 Mexico. It attacks the fruits of Cereus as well 

 as those of prickly-pears. N. inornata, Distant, 

 occurs in Mexico and California, and N. snowi 

 in New Mexico. 



Specimens of Narnia were seen feeding on 

 the fruit of 0. lindheimeri, 0. ferfuginispina, 

 and allied species, at Alice and Robbstown in 

 Texas, but in far too few numbers to be capable 

 of causing much damage, fruits on which they 

 occurred exhibiting merely local superficial skin 

 injuries. At Mesilla Park (New Mexico), Tuc- 

 son (Arizona), and San Diego (Southern Cali- 

 fornia), species of Narnia were found beneath 

 prickly-pear plants and their debris. At Tuc- 

 son it was also found hibernating associated 

 with Chelinidea in cavities in the stems of Opun- 

 tias. 



In view of the destruction of fruit which 

 species of Narnia are said to cause, the introduc- 

 tion of these insects, which feed exclusively on 

 Cactaceffi, is recommended. 



Stylopidea picta, Uhler (Capsidse). 



This small Capsid bug is briefly referred to 

 in C.I., p. 22. It was seen in great numbers on 

 plants at Eobbstown, San Antonio, Brownsville, 

 Sinton, and Alice, and frequently the entire 

 plant was ehlorosed and had a very sickly appear- 

 ance on account of their attacks. This was, no 

 doubt, due to the large numbers present. It is 

 not recorded as being one of the serious enemies 

 of prickly-pears, its place on the list given in 

 C.I., p. 13, being after that occupied by the leaf- 

 miner, Marmara. 



Marlatt referred to its occurrence on 

 Opuntia in 1896, under the name Laiops hespe- 

 rinus. The Commission was informed by Mr. 

 Heidemann that its correct name is Hesperola- 

 bops picta, Renter. Since their influence is so 

 slight and since it is not restricted to the Cacta- 

 cete, having been found on a variety of plants 

 (C.I., p. 23), its introduction need not be 

 considered. 



Sixeonotus luteiceps, Renter (Capsidae). 



This small Capsid bug is not a true Cactus 

 insect, preferring Yuccas to Opuntias and Echi- 

 nocereus, both of which it commonly attacks 

 (C.I., p. 36) ; hence it need not receive further 

 attention. 



The Cochineal Insects (Coccidae). 



Coccus cacti, L., or Dactylopius coccus, Costa. 

 — The true cochineal insect is recorded from 

 California and Florida by M. Fernald (1903), 

 but Messrs. Hunter, Pratt, and Mitchell (p. 23) 

 state that it does not appear to occur in tlie 

 United States of America, and that these records 

 probably refer to importations. 



Coccus (or Dactylopius) confusus, Cock- 

 erell. — This wild cochineal insect occurs through- 

 out practically the whole of the cactus region of 

 the United States, being abundant in the south- 

 ern parts of Texas (C.I., p. 2-4, pi. 5), but 

 appears to be held in check by a great number of 

 predatory insects which prevent it from becom- 

 ing a very important enemy of the prickly-pear. 

 In spite of these, however, it is capable of doing 

 damage to the plants. On account of the presence 

 of dense white cotton-like waxy masses imder 

 each of which several coccids live, the name 

 "cottony cochineal" has been applied to this 

 species in the Bulletin «n Cactus Insects. The 

 insect was described by Cockerell (1893, p. 366; 

 1896, p. 34), and an account of it is given by 

 Green (1912, p. 89). 



The localities given include some in Arizona, 

 Texas, Florida, and California, and, besides, the 

 species is found in hothouses throughout the 

 United States. It is not restricted to any par- 

 ticular species of Opuntia as its host-plant (C.I., 

 p. 42). Mr. Green mentions Mesilla Park, New 

 Mexico, as an additional locality. 



The value of the pigment derived from this 

 coccus has been compared with commercial 

 cochineal obtained from Coccus cacti, and with 

 that from C. tomentosus, another form of wild 

 cochineal. If C. cacti be taken as 100, then the 

 same weight of G. tomentosus would be equi- 

 valent to 80 and C. confusus to 16, thus showing 

 that the last-named has very little commercial 

 value (Cockerell, 1896, p. 35; Green, 1912, p. 



Coccus confusus is subject to the attacks of 

 many insect enemies. In 1899 Riley (p. 28) 

 referred to his breeding of three from it — ^viz., 

 Leucopis hellula, Williston; Drosophila quinaria, 

 Loew; and Dakruma coccidivora, Comstock (= 

 Laetilia coccidivora). Coquillet had previously 

 (1897) reared the first-named fly from specimens 

 from New Mexico. The list given in the Bulletin 

 on Cactus Insects (pp. 24, 46) includes eight 

 species of Coleoptera and three of Lepidoptera. 

 They are as follows : — 



Coleoptera; Exochomus latiusculus, Casey 

 (Texas) ; E. marginipennis, Le Conte 

 (Texas) ; Cycloneda munda, Say 

 (Texas) ; Chilocorus cacti, L., (Mexi- 

 co) ; Hyperaspis trifurcata, Schaeffer 

 (Texas, Mexico) ; E. cruenta, Le 

 Conte (New Mexico, Texas) ; Scym- 

 nus loewii, Mulsant (Texas, Mexico) ; 

 and 8. hornii, Gorham (Mexico). Lepi- 

 doptera: Lcetilia coccidivora, Com- 

 stock (Texas) ; Zophodia ditatifas- 

 ciella, Ragonot (Texas) ; and Saluria 

 ardiferella, Hulst (New Mexico). 

 Diptera : Drosophila punctulata, 

 Loew. (Texas) ; D. ampelophila, Loew. 

 (California) ; Leucopis bella, Loew. 

 (Texas and California) ; L. bellula, 

 Williston (Texas, New Mexico, Mexi- 

 co). The beetle Botlirideres cacto- 

 phagi, Schwarz (C.I., p. 46) also at- 

 tacks Coccus coyifusus. 



