12 The Colorado Experiment Station. 
Natural Enemies 
The principgj enemies of the red spicier, found during the sea¬ 
son's observations, were the lace-winged flies, and a small black 
species of lady-bird beetle, which Prof. Gillette has determined for 
me as Scymnus punctnm.. (See Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Plate I.) 
Several times during the season lace-winged fly larvae have 
been observed on leaves infested with mites, and no doubt they were 
feeding upon them. The little lady-bird was found quite abundant 
on infested peach trees in one orchard at Palisade. It is a tiny 
black beetle, so small that the orchardist might not become aware 
of its presence in an orchard even though it should occur in abun¬ 
dance. The larvae are also of a blackish color, and can be readily 
seen on the leaves when they are feeding upon the mites. The 
drawings of this lady-bird were made from specimens collected by 
Prof. C. P. Gillette, at Greeley and Fort Collins, Colorado. Prof. 
Gillette found them specially common on elm and plum leaves, 
where they were feeding upon red spiders and working for the most 
part beneath the webs. He has briefly described the different stages 
of this beetle as follows: 
“The eggs are very small, pale yellow objects, oval in shape, 
and are deposited singly upon their sides. They are almost too 
small to be seen by the unaided eye, as they measure barely one- 
third of a millimeter (one-seventy-fifth of an inch) in length. 
“The grubs or larvae are dusky to blackish in color, rather 
hairy, the hairs being simple and arising in clusters from minute 
tubercles. 
“The pupa is uniform blackish in color and is covered with 
short golden hairs, most of which terminate in a knob. 
“The adult beetles are dull black, with the tibiae and tarsi 
(lower portion of the legs) pale yellow, and the dorsal surface is 
set with short golden hairs that are not capitate but pointed; the 
general form is almost circular, and the length about one and one- 
third millimeters (one-twentieth of an inch).” 
SUMMARY 
1. Only one species of ..red spider has been found injuring orchard trees in 
Western Colorado. 
2. Eggs are deposited in the spring by mites that have hibernated over win¬ 
ter in the soil, or beneath rubbish of any kind in the orchard. Hibernation began 
as early as August 9th this season, and myriads of the little red pests were found 
in the ground at Palisade, on that date. 
3. Many fruit and shade trees are attacked by the mites. Small fruits are 
often severly injured Herbaceous plants of all kinds seem to be subject to attack. 
When fruit trees are badly infested the fruit is usually small and does not mature 
properly. 
4. A sulphur spray, the same as is recommended for the brown mite, is 
probably better than anything else that could be used during the summer months. 
5. The natural enemies of the red spider that were noticed during the season 
were the lace-winged flies, and a minute black species of lady-bird beetle (Seymnus 
punctum.) 
Credit is heartily accorded Miss M. A. Palmer, who made all the drawings for 
this bulletin. 
