2 BULLETIN 885, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Old World that has made its appearance in the Tropics of the Amer- 
icas. Its apparently rapid spread in the New World along with the 
fact that it now threatens to gain entrance into Florida from Cuba 
and Nassau makes it a pest of special interest from the plant quar- 
antine point of view. 
In August, 1917, Mr. Harold Morrison, the explorer in charge of 
the Mediterranean fruit fly investigations of the Bureau of Ento- 
mology, found the insect well established in Cristobal, Balboa, and 
Ancon in the Canal Zone, and in Colon and Panama in the Eepublic of 
Panama. Since the Canal Zone may be regarded as the crossroads 
of the New World's water traffic, a temporary field station was estab- 
lished at the Board of Health laboratory at Ancon to study the 
black fly and other tropical insect pests that might be carried by 
commerce to other parts of the Tropics or to the subtropical parts of 
the United States. 
Aleurocanthus woglumi has several common names. It has been 
called the black fly, the citrus black fly, and the black scale in Ja- 
maica and is known as the blue fly and the citrus blue fly in the 
Bahamas. In Florida it is known as the black fly. In literature 
it has also been referred to as the spiny citrus white fly in order to 
distinguish it from the common citrus white fly (Dialeurodes citri 
Ashmead). While this insect belongs to the family Aleurodidae, 
known as white flies, the term of white fly does not fit it, inasmuch 
as it is black or dusky in all stages. In Spanish countries the insect 
is known as mosca prieta, which means black fly. There is a minor 
objection to the use of the name black fly, inasmuch as it is the 
common designation of biting buffalo gnats, family Simuliidae.. 
Nevertheless, on account of the common and wide use of the name 
"black fly" for this aleurodid in English-speaking countries and of 
its Spanish equivalent in Spanish-speaking countries, it would 
probably be impossible now to secure the general adoption of any 
other name. There is little likelihood of any confusion arising in 
discussion or literature in the use of the term black fly for this insect 
as an enemy of citrus and other subtropical plants. 
THE SCIENTIFIC NAME OF THE INSECT AND TO WHOM IT SHOULD 
BE ACCREDITED. 
The black fly was first described by Ashby (3) s in his article on- 
the black scale or black fly. Although this description is entirely 
untechnical and is used merely in setting forth the stages in the life 
cycle, and although Ashby used Quaint ance and Baker's manuscript 
name for the insect, and specifically states that this name should be 
credited to Quaintance, nevertheless, under the rules of the Inter- 
3 Figures in parentheses refer to " Literature cited," p. 53-55. 
