THE BIOLOGY OF SPILOCONIS PICTICORNIS BANKS 
(NEUROPTERA: CONIOPTERYGIDAE) 
M. E. Badgley , 1 C. A. Fleschner , 2 and J. C. Hall 3 
Department of Biological Control, Citrus Experiment Sta. 
University of California, Riverside 
The dustywing Spiloconis picticornis Banks was intro- 
duced into California from Taipo, Hong Kong, in 1953 by 
S. E. Flanders. As it is predaceous on plant feeding mites 
and scale insects, attempts are now being made to estab- 
lish it in citrus and avocado groves in southern California. 
For this reason <S. picticornis is being reared in large 
numbers by the Department of Biological Control, Uni- 
versity of California Citrus Experiment Station at River- 
side. Thousands of individuals of S. picticornis have al- 
ready been released in southern California citrus and 
avocado groves and many thousands more will be released 
during the coming season. The following information on 
the life history and feeding habits of S. picticornis was 
obtained during the process of developing a mass produc- 
tion program for this predator. 
Procedure. — These studies were made in a darkened in- 
sectary room having a temperature of 80 °F. with the rela- 
tive humidity between 50 and 60 per cent. Adults were 
kept in 8 dram vials. Each vial was placed over a detached 
leaf of Pittosporum Tobira Ait., the petiole of which was 
inserted in a % dram vial filled with water and held in 
place with cotton. The leaves were infested with crawlers 
of the soft (brown) scale, Coccus hesperidum Linn, one 
to two days before they were to be used. Red scale crawl- 
ers, Aonidiella aurantii (Mask), were placed on the leaf 
just prior to insertion into the vial containing the dusty- 
wings. Each vial was supplied with a fresh leaf daily. 
Egg. — The eggs are irregularly ellipsoidal in outline, 
approximately 0.53 mm. long and 0.34 mm. wide. They 
'Laboratory Technician, Citrus Experiment Station 
2 Assistant Entomologist in the Agricultural Experiment Station 
3 Senior Laboratory Technician, Citrus Experiment Station 
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