46 
PARASITES OF GIPSY AXD BROW X-T AIL MOTHS. 
the orange, Aleyrodes citri K. & H., and to attempt to find parasites 
or satisfactory predatory enemies. In November, 1910, he found the 
white fly at Saharampur, India, and discovered that it was killed by a 
fungous disease (lately determined as a species already occurring in the 
United States — JLgerita webberi — by Prof. H. S. Fawcett, of the Florida 
Agricultural Experiment Station). He also found that it was at- 
tacked by two species of CoccinellidaB (Verania cardoni Weise and 
Cryptognatha jiavescens Motsch.). A preliminary shipment of the 
ladybirds by mail was apparently unsuccessful. Later shipments by 
direct steamer from Calcutta to Boston were also unsuccessful. 
At Lahore, India, Mr. Woglum found his first evidence of parasit- 
ism by hymenopterous parasites. A certain proportion of Aleyrodes 
citri was found to contain the exit holes of a tine parasite. The 
specimens on leaves sent in by Mr. Woglum were examined with 
great care. None of the full-grown larvse or nymphs contained para- 
sites, but five specimens of a very minute aphelinine of the genus 
Prospaltella were found dead and attached to the orange leaves in 
close viciirity to the perforated aleyrodids. The size of the specimens 
was such as to justify the conclusion that they had issued from the 
aleyrodids, and their juxtaposition and the known habits of the genus 
confirm this conclusion. The species was described by the senior 
author as Prospaltella lahorensis in the Journal of Economic Ento- 
mology for February, 1911, pages 130-132. Efforts will be made to 
import this parasite into Florida. 
The occurrence of a European weevil, PTiytonomus murinus Fab., 
in the alfalfa fields of Utah in alarming numbers and the difficulty of 
fighting the pest by mechanical or cultural means has started an in- 
vestigation as to its parasites in its original home. Mr. W. F. Fiske, 
of the Bureau of Entomology, sent from Naples, Italy, on March 17, 
1911, a large lot of stems of alfalfa containing eggs of an allied weevil 
parasitized by a minute mymarid, which at the time of this writing 
are on their way to Utah. 
In the meantime the State board of horticulture of California has 
been continuing its efforts to import beneficial insects of different 
kinds. Mr. George Compere returned from a lengthy trip during the 
summer of 1910, bringing with him a number of interesting species, 
among them a new coccinellid enemy of mealy bugs in which he has 
great faith, and which promises to be a valuable addition to the insect 
fauna of the United States. 
Entomologists and horticulturists all over the world have become 
greatly interested in this aspect of economic entomology and for the 
immediate future a great deal of experimental work has been planned 
by the officials of different countries. 
