56 



it may accidentally have been carried to Italy and South Africa, in 

 both of which localities it has become established, and is most bene- 

 ficial in keeping in check the larger scale insects. 



Oilier recent importations. — The European moth (Erastria scitula) 

 does not seem to have made any very startling developments, and I 

 could get no reports of its having given any evidence of usefulness. 

 It will be remembered that this insect was sent to this office by Prof. 

 Antonio Berlese, of Portici, Italy, during the year 1902, and was for- 

 warded by Doctor Howard to Mr. Alexander Craw. It was liberated 

 in several places, and the preliminary reports were favorable enough 

 to show that there is a good chance of its becoming established. 



Of the European ladybirds, Coccinella septempxinctata and the Aus- 

 tralian Zeis conformist I could learn nothing especially favorable. 

 The first is an omnivorous feeder, and will eat its own larvae or the 

 larvae of other ladybirds as readily as it will plant-lice, and hence its 

 utility is open to some considerable question. 



Older importations. — Of the older importations into California the 

 Vedalia is maintaining its usefulness. It is being bred regularly by 

 Mr. Craw and some of the county horticultural officials. Whenever 

 notice of an outbreak of the white scale comes to headquarters some 

 of these beetles from breeding cages are sent out, always accompanied 

 with the request for a return sending of as large a quantity as practi- 

 cable of wood infested with the scale. By this means the food supply 

 for the rearing of beetles is kept up and it is made possible to send 

 out new beetles promptly to all applicants. The rapidity with which 

 a colony of scale is cleared up by these insects is something marvelous, 

 a few weeks only being sufficient for it to clear up a considerable area 

 of infestation. 



The older principal insect enemy of the black scale in California 

 is the imported RJiizobius ventralis, which has been so very effective 

 on the Cooper ranch and in some other coast districts of California. 

 It has never proved to be of any special value in the drier regions 

 awa} T from the coast. These conditions seem still to be true of this 

 insect. Its usefulness, therefore, is comparatively limited, as much of 

 the important orange and citrus area is beyond its range of effective- 

 ness. RTiizol)ius central is also has shown itself very efficient against 

 Pu 1 cinaria inniimerabilis on apple. This Pulvinaria very badly 

 infested certain apple orchards, and was completely cleaned up is 

 eight weeks after the introduction of this ladybird, as reported by 

 Mr. Maskew. 



Every little while others of the beneficial insects imported by Koebele 

 turn up, even where they seem to have completely disappeared for a 

 number of years, and it is not improbable that more of them have 

 maintained themselves in California than has been believed, though 

 in very limited numbers. 



