UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
f BULLETIN No. 1117 f 
Washington, D. C. 
December, 1922 
NATURAL CONTROL OF THE CITRUS MEALYBUG IN 
FLORIDA. 
By A. T. Speabe, Mycoentomologist, Bureau of Entomoloaii. 
CONTEXTS. 
Tage. 
Introduction 1 
Citrus conditions in Florida 1 
Insect enemies of the mealybug, and 
insects associated with the mealy- 
bugs and sometimes considered as 
beneficial 3 
The fungous parasite Entomophthora 
fumosa, n. sp . 4 
Page. 
The fungous parasite Entomophthora 
fumosa, n. sp. — Continued. 
Description 6 
Microscopic characters 6 
Symptoms of the disease caused by 
E. fumosa 10 
The fungus in the grove 10 
Relation of fungicides to mealybugs. 14 
INTRODUCTION. 
The citrus mealybug (Pseudococcus citri Risso) is. widely dis- 
tributed in Florida and the Gulf States and infests the several varie- 
ties of citrus and various other plants cultivated in this region. 
While it sometimes causes a premature drop of citrus fruit, in most 
instances more injury is wrought by the sooty mold which develops 
luxuriantly upon the fruit where the insects are feeding. On the 
whole, however, the mealybug is considered a pest of secondary im- 
portance in Florida, as it usually does not appear in sufficient num- 
bers to arouse the apprehension of the grower. In California, on 
the contrary, it is looked upon as one of the most serious insect 
enemies of citrus. 1 The object of the present paper is to show why, 
in Florida, it is usually unimportant and to point out that a knowl- 
edge of its natural enemies is of direct economic value to the citrus 
CITRUS CONDITIONS IN FLORIDA. 
In Florida, perhaps more than in any other citrus region of the 
world, are environmental factors conducive to the control of injuri- 
1 Woglum. R. S., and Neuls, J. D. The common mealybug and its control in Cali- 
fornia. U. S. Dept. Agr. Farmers' Bui. 862, p. 11. 1917. 
45 4 y— 22 1 
