66 1 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
Control. 
It may be controlled by using a spray 
of nicotine sulphate 40% at the rate of 
one gallon to nine hundred gallons of wa¬ 
ter. To this should be added four or five 
pounds of fish oil soap to each one hun¬ 
dred fifty gallons of the diluted spray 
mixture. The soap will cause the spray 
to spread more evenly over the foliage. 
If both the red spiders and thrips are 
present on the foliage, the two sprays of 
lime sulphur and nicotine sulphate may 
be combined, eliminating the soap. As 
both the red spiders and thrips carry on 
their depredations on the upper surface 
of the foliage, the spray should be pri¬ 
marily directed to that part of the fo¬ 
liage. 
THE AVOCADO BLOSSOM THRIPS. 
With the approach of spring various 
other insect activities present themselves. 
Before the bearing Avocado tree pro¬ 
duces new growth, the blossom clusters 
arise from the terminal twigs or from the 
base of the year’s growth. The bloom as 
it appears is attacked by a blossom thrips, 
Frankliniella cephalicus Craw. This blos¬ 
som thrips is not the same which attacks 
citrus in Florida, however, it does not 
differ materially in general appearance. 
It averages less than a milimeter in 
length and in general color is a pale yel¬ 
low. It was first recorded as taken from 
the native acacia-like plants in the moun¬ 
tains of Mexico and it is quite probable 
that it has found its way into Florida 
from that country. 
The injury by the thrips to the bloom 
is caused by the feeding of the young and 
adults on the individual flower parts de¬ 
stroying many of them in the course of 
their depredations. As succeeding gen¬ 
erations appear the adults deposit their 
eggs in great numbers in the stems and 
pedicles which bear the floral panicles 
and which hold the fruits as they set to 
the terminal twigs. These punctures 
which later become emergence holes for 
the young reduce somewhat the strength 
of the stems which bear the fruit. This 
condition is evident in such varieties as 
the Trapp, which naturally bear weak 
stems. The thrips do not attack the fruit. 
Control. 
It may be controlled by spraying with 
nicotine sulphate 40% at the rate of one 
gallon to nine hundred gallons of water 
with the addition of four or five pounds 
of fish oil soap to the diluted spray, 
which serves as a spreader. 
THE AVOCADO WHITE FLY. 
With the maturing of the bloom and 
the setting of the fruit new growth com¬ 
mences to arise from the floral racemes. 
As the new growth appears it is attacked 
by the Avocado white fly, Trialeurodes 
floridensis Q. This white fly is not un¬ 
like the species of white flies which attack 
citrus, it bears white wings and possesses 
a yellow body. It is however, somewhat 
smaller than most citrus white flies, and 
may be distinguished on the foliage in 
the pupal stage by the characteristic 
fringe which this stage possesses. 
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