INSECT ENEMIES. 
et 
Oe 
- species of primary parasites, Leptomastix sp., and Anagyrus sp., were brought 
to the Insectary in living condition and liberated on the citrus mealybug, 
Pseudococeus citri, the citrophilus mealybug, Pseudococcus gahani, and 
Pseudococeus maritimus. Although Leptomastix sp. was seen to oviposit in the 
citrus mealybug, none was bred from it. A large Leptomastix ‘bred from a 
shipment from Victoria was seen to oviposit in the citrophilus mealybug, but 
we did not succeed in rearing any parasites from the material. 
The golden mealybug, Pseudococcus aurilanatus, is becoming an important 
enemy of the Norfolk Island pines in Southern California. As Australia is 
the home of these trees, the writer was instructed to locate any natural enemies 
of this pest. At Manly, New South Wales, examination of the Araucarias 
showed that the principal factor in the control of this mealybug was the lady- 
bird, Cryptolemus montrouzieri, which is already of considerable assistance in 
controlling our California mealybugs. Internal parasites were also in evidence. 
Material collected at Manly and placed in the breeding cages at the Insectary 
produced the internal parasites, Pachyneuron sp., a small Encyrtid, and Tetrac- 
nemus sp. ‘These were released upon the golden mealybug. It is too early to 
tell just what the results will be from this importation. The Pachyneuron 
was also released on Pseudococcus maritimus and oviposited readily in this 
species, but did not develop. Irom Pseudococcus acacice, infesting Acacia near 
Melbourne, Thalpochares sp., a predacious moth closely: resembling the pre- 
dacious moth of the black scale, was reared in some numbers. The moth laid 
eggs in the rearing cages at the Insectary, and the larve were placed on the 
egg masses of Pseudococcus citri, but it was found that this mealybug was not 
a suitable host for the moth. From material containing Pseudococcus albizzie, 
collected near Melbourne, a small Encyrtid was reared at the Insectary which 
was placed in’a cage with our Californian mealybugs, in the hope that it might 
find them a suitable host. No parasites have yet emerged from this cage. A 
ladybird, Rhizobius plebius, collected in Victoria feeding on P. acaciw, was 
also introduced as a mealybug destroyer, but we were unsuccessful in rearing it. 
Several specimens of Midas pygmeus were also reared from this material. 
The Midas is a small black ladybird with red blotches on the elytra. A colony 
of this ladybird was collected on the first trip to Australia and brought in 
living condition to the Insectary. It breeds readily on the citrus mealybug, 
and it is believed that it will be a promising addition to our imported enemies 
of mealybugs. 
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