1498 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



Food Plants 



All citrus species, fig, olive, croton, oak. 



Control 



Fumigate with full schedule No. 1. 

 This is usually done whea the black scale 

 {Smssetia olae) is in good condition to 

 kill. See p. 1499. 



Natural Enemies 



The ladybird beetles, Orcus chalpdeus, 

 Scyryinus margimcolhs, Lmdorus lopan- 

 thae; the larvae of the green lace wing, 

 Ghrysopa cahformca Coq., and brown lace- 

 wing, Sympherodtus angustics Bks,, and 

 the internal parasite, AspidioUphagus ctt- 

 rinus Craw., prey upon this pest. 



Red Orange Scale. See Grape Pests. 



Red Spider. See Apple Pests 



Silver Mite of the Lemon 



Eriopfiyes oleivoriis Ashm. 



Pfiytoptus oletvorws Ashm 

 General Appearance 

 The adult mites are so small as to 

 be invisible except with the aid of a lens. 

 They are light yellow in color, long and 

 pointed anteriorly, with two pairs of legs 

 near the head. The eggs are exceedingly 

 small, circular and faintly yellow in color. 

 The presence of the mite is easily told by 

 the characteristic silvery chafing of the 

 skin of the lemon, due to the destruction 

 of the oil cells. In Florida the oranges 

 are also chafed, causing a russeting 



Life History 



The eggs are deposited singly or in 

 small clusters on the leaves or fruit. 

 They hatch in less than a week in hot 

 weather but require twice as long in cold 

 weather. After several molts the mites 

 become full grown in from two to three 

 weeks. The young and adults feed upon 

 the oil in the succulent parts of citrus 

 plants, which is obtained by piercing the 

 oil cells with their beaks. The adults are 

 capable of rapid locomotion and move 

 freely. They breed from spring until late 

 fall, giving rise to many overlapping 

 broods a year 



Food Plants 



Works upon bark, foliage and fruits of 

 citrus trees. In California its attacks 

 are usually confined to the lemon. 



Control 



Same as for the citrus red spider, Tet- 

 ranycfiiis mytilaspidis. 



Strawberry Tiirips. See Grain Thrzps, 

 this section. 



Twelve-Spotted Cucumber Beetle. See 

 Cucumber Pests. 



Long- Tailed Mealy Bug 



Pseudoocns longispmws Targ. 



Pseudococcus adomdum Linn. 



General Appearance 



The same as the citrus mealy bug in 

 size, shape and color, but is readily dis- 

 tinguished from it by the long white anal 

 appendages as long, or longer, than the 

 body, from which it gets its name. 



Life History 



No eggs are laid by this species, the 

 young being born alive. Several genera- 

 tions appear each year, in fact in the 

 southern part of the state the breeding ex- 

 tends throughout practically the entire 

 year. The life cycle occupies about two 

 months. It is particularly bad in green- 

 houses and ornamental gardens. 



Food Plants 



Is especially destructive to Dracaena 

 sp., but also occurs on moonvine, citrus, 

 coleus, sago palm [Cycas rcvoliita), ferns, 

 oleander, plum, staghorn fern. 



Control 



The same as for the citrus mealy bug. 

 White Scale. See Florida Wax Scale, 

 this section. 



Woolly Citrns ApMd 



Aphis cookii Essig 



6(eneral Appearance 



The bodies vary from light gray to 

 very dark brown or almost black, and are 

 covered with short or rather long, white 

 cottony wax, which is arranged in trans- 

 verse rows across the abdomen. This 

 covering often almost completely hides 

 the insects. 



Life History 



Is not well known. The insect was first 

 discovered by C. H. Vary at Pomona, Cali- 

 fornia, in April, 1910. 



Food Hants 



Navel orange trees. 



