DISCOVERY OF CRYPTOGNATHA FLAVESCENS. 19 
Discovery of the Citrus White Fly at Saharanpur. 
An examination of orange trees at Saharanpur soon led to the dis- 
covery of the citrus white fly, and subsequent search revealed the 
fact that it was of general distribution hereabouts. The insect at 
this time had reached the pupal stage. Specimens of the fly could be 
found on practically all trees examined, but the infestation was so 
light that the insect was in no way a serious pest. Of the insects 
infesting the leaves only a small percentage was living. The trees 
containing the largest number of living insects were noted to be the 
ones with the densest foliage and those protected by large over- 
shadowing ornamental trees. In no instance was a tree affected by 
"sooty mold" (Meliolasip.). 
Discovery of Cryptognatha flavescens, the Lady-Beetle 
Enemy of the Citrus White Fly. 
Closely following the discovery of the white fly, several minute 
larvse of a coccinellid were seen on fly-infested trees, and later it was 
found that these were feeding on the young pupae of the white fly. 
This happy discovery proved conclusively that Aleyrodes citri is 
attacked by a natural enemy in its native home, and thus one part 
of the mission on which the writer had been sent was successfully 
' fulfilled. Later developments showed that the adults of this species 
were small reddish-brown beetles, about one-tenth of an inch in 
length. 
Several days were spent in a careful and exhaustive search through- 
out this region, with the result of finding about 200 specimens of the 
lady-beetle. These were collected by placing large sheets of cloth 
underneath the trees early in the morning before the insects had 
| become active and then beating the branches with sticks. In this 
manner much ground could be covered in a short time. 
About 100 specimens of the insect were placed in a small, specially 
made wooden box containing two chambers connected by an opening 
about the size of a 50-cent piece. One of these chambers was loosely 
filled with damp sphagnum moss, the other with dry fiber from a 
. palm tree. Such packing allowed the insects free movement and at 
the same time reduced possible injury from rough usage to a mini- 
mum. The box was so constructed as to allow necessary aeration. 
This box was forwarded to the American consul-general at Cal- 
cutta, who placed the same in the personal charge of the captain of 
a cargo steamer sailing direct from Calcutta to the United States. 
All insects had died before their arrival in Florida. 
A second sending made by letter mail also failed to come through 
in good condition. 
This beetle was identified by Mr. E. A. Schwarz, of the Bureau of 
Entomology, as Cryptognatha flavescens Motsch. 
