18 
undertake the production of quantities of infected mealybugs for 
the use of the growers. 
If, however, a grove has been sprayed for the control of citrus 
diseases, with Bordeaux mixture or other active fungicide which 
kills entomogenous as well as other fungi, the owner must be pre- 
pared for a heavy infestation of mealybugs, provided, of course. 
that these insects are present in the grove at the time the Bordeaux 
is applied. In such instances it would do no good to introduce the 
fungus and the application of artificial remedial measures might be 
advisable. 
In California the Argentine and other ants are said 11 to be im- 
portant factors in checking the work of the natural enemies, which 
in that State, so far as is known, are exclusively insect, or at least 
not fungus. It is said that they have been observed to carry living 
mealybugs — 
* * * to destroy and carry off the larvae and eggs of natural enemies, to 
interfere with the free movement about the tree of certain beneficial insects, 
and by their constant attendance upon the mealybugs to prevent normal egg 
laying and feeding of adult parasites and predatory insects. 
Ants have been frequently observed in Florida attending mealy- 
bug colonies, but no attempt has been made either to determine the 
different species involved or their relation to mealybugs, although 
they were frequently observed carrying these insects. It is difficult, 
however, to see how they can interfere in any way with the fungous 
parasite herein considered, unless they possess psychic powers of 
such a nature as to enable them to pick out for destruction the dis- 
eased but not dead specimens, for in carrying about dead sporulat- 
ing specimens, or even in traveling about among such individuals, 
they would rather assist in spreading the fungus from' insect to 
insect. 
^Wogluin, R. S., and Neuls, J. D. Op. cit., p. 11. 
