1492 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



California Angular- Winged Katydid 



Microcentrum launfolium Linn. 

 C^eneral Appearance 



Large green long-horned grasshopper or 

 katydid, from one and a half to two and 

 a half inches long. Easily distinguished 

 from the ordinary grasshoppers by the 

 long, thin antennae and slender hind legs. 

 The eggs are oval and flat, white in color, 

 laid so as to overlap like shingles. They 

 may be laid in a single row around the 

 edge of the leaves or on the young stems, 

 or in double rows on the latter. The 

 young katydids are bright green and ap- 

 pear to be all legs and antennae. The 

 adult females have a characteristic sickle- 

 shaped ovipositor. 



Life History 



The eggs are deposited in the fall and 

 constitute the winter stage. In the spring 

 the young katydids escape from the ex- 

 posed ends and immediately begin work 

 upon the foliage, continuing their desti^uc- 

 tiveness throughout the spring, summer 

 and fall. The broods are uneven, so all 

 stages may be found throughout the sum- 

 mer. 



Distribution 



Throughout the entire state, but espe- 

 cially common in the citrus-growing sec- 

 tions. More damage is done in the Sac- 

 ramento valley than anywhere else. 



Food Plants 



Particularly destructive to orange trees. 

 Usually the foliage is the only pai-t af- 

 fected, but occasionally they gnaw into 

 the young fruit, producing deep and ugly 

 scars which render it imfit for market 



Control and Natural Enemy 



The egs parasite (WupelTrim mirahilis) 

 is practically responsible for the control 

 of this pest and may be relied upon to 

 keep it down to where great or excessive 

 damages can not result. It is wise to 

 collect the eggs during the winter and 

 place them into boxes covered with screen. 

 As the small parasites gnaw their way out 

 of the egg through small holes at the top 

 they may escape to continue their good 

 work, while any young katydids that may 

 hatch out cannot escape because of their 

 long legs and antennae. It is very diffi- 



cult to secure colonies of the eggs without 

 finding many showing the holes made by 

 the parasites 

 Cantaloup Ply. See Cantaloup Pests. 



Chaff Scale 



Paralatoria per.<7a/?rZil Comst. 



General Appearance 



Small, circular, elongated, irregular 

 scales with first exuviae near the side. 

 Male scales are decidedly longer than 

 broad The color is a light gray. 



Quite a prolific species which does not 

 spread very rapidly. The breeding con- 

 tinues through the summer and fall 

 months and the broods overlap as in the 

 other armored scales. The trunk, large 

 and small limbs, foliage and fruits are at- 

 tacked. 



Distribution 



Florida and a few localities in Cali- 

 fornia. It has also been found in a few 

 other localities in the southern part of 

 California, having been imported from 

 Florida. 



Food riants 



Orange, lemon, Japonica sp. All parts 

 of the plants and the fruits are attacked. 



lyOniroi 



Fumigation with full schedule No. 1. 

 For fumigation schedule see p. 1499. This 

 is not a very difficult pest to combat. 



Citrus or Greenhouse Mmlj Bug 

 PseudococeiiH vttri Kisso 



General Appearance 



Small mealy-coated soft-bodied insects, 

 from one-fourth to three-eighths inche>s 

 long and two-thirds as wide. They are 

 specially characterized by a large amount 

 of white waxy secretion covering the 

 bodies. There are no perceptible wax 

 tails or appendages 



Life History 

 The eggs are deposited in loose cottony 

 masses by the females upon the food 

 plants, mostly during the late fall and 

 winter months, though some may be laid 

 in summer. The young upon hatching 

 move about very freely, seeking suitable 

 feeding places upon the tender foliage or 

 young fruit. The females continue to 

 move at will throughout their existence, 



