50 ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS. 



that, in spite of these parasites, there still remained a goodly number 

 to oviposit and reproduce. 



The egg masses began to develop early in June, and by the middle 

 of the month many of them were apparently full sized. In Mont- 

 clair, where the worst-infested district was observed, the insects were 

 so abundant as to form continuous lines along the underside of many 

 of the infested twigs and branches. An examination of the egg 

 masses there and in other localities revealed the fact that some of 

 them were infested by the larva of Hyperaspis' signata. 



This larva, because of the cottony-like waxy covering of the dorsal 

 surface, is well protected among the egg^ masses, especially since it is 

 often found feeding within the egg mass, when the latter may 

 appear perfectly normal. Often only a single larva infests an egg 

 mass; but sometimes more will be found, especially when they are 

 young. On the other hand, a single larva may destroy a large pro- 

 portion of the eggs in several masses. 



On June 16, when the coccinellid larvae were first observed at 

 Montclair, a few of them were nearly, if not quite, full grown, while 

 others were very small. From this time on their number increased 

 until the early part of July, when they began to decrease. By 

 June 28, in Montclair, scarcely an egg mass could be found which 

 was not or had not been infested by them. The first pupae were 

 observed both in the laboratory and on the infested trees on June 24. 

 A few of the larvae at this time could be observed crawling on the 

 trunks of the trees and getting beneath the loose bark, Avhere the 

 pupa? were found. The pupa is brown in color, but covered more 

 or less with the white material from the cast larval skin. The 

 earliest pupae were found, as just stated, on the trunks of the trees 

 under the loose bark and in the crevices, and it has been stated that 

 the insect always goes to these places to pupate. But this is not 

 the case, for most of the later pupae were found within the eaten-out 

 egg masses. The truth is that the insect desires to pupate in a pro- 

 tected situation, whether under the bark or elsewhere. 



The first beetles to emerge in the laboratory were observed on 

 July 7 and came from pupae which had been in that stage for two 

 weeks. It was about this time also that beetles were noted on the 

 infested trees, and they continued in evidence until the early part of 

 August, after which no more were observed. While the larva of the 

 coccinellid fed on the eggs of the Pulvinaria, the beetle itself devoured 

 the young scales which set on the leaves. The young scale adheres 

 closely to the leaf, and it was interesting to watch the beetle in its 

 efforts to secure it. If the latter was not too closely set the beetle 

 would successfully pull it up and then rapidly devour it; but some- 

 times the scale was too securely fastened, and then the coccinellid, 



