The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-10-27
Fruit Enemies.

tnral Society held IN Young Msn .
S Th~i Association Hall Friday
0 ot4arnnon Professor Comstock OF
the Agricultural Department, WASH
iugton, read the following paper VI
GScale insects injurious to fruit anu
other trees :" ersrs .,h;ob
There is no group OF insects wnlcn
is ot Greater interest to hortlculturists
TO-DAY than that family which includes
the creatures popularity known as
scale bugs" No variety OF fruit is
exempt from their attacks, and IN
certain localities many trees nave
been seriously injured, or even k lheS,
outright by them. The oyster smell
bark louise of the apple, and several
species lntesting citrus fruits are we'll
known examples of these facts:
Notwithstanding the great lmpor-
lance of the subject, comparatively
little thorough work has been done
on the species of this country. This
fact led me TO undertake serious
study of the group, the result OF
which will be published as soon as
practicable.
The object of the present paper is
simply to give for the benefit OF Calf
fornia horticulturists few OF the
more important points in the lite.
history Of scale insects, and a part OF
the results of my studies OF the forms
which occur on this coast.
The scale insects or bark lice com
prise the family known to entomolo-
oists as the Coccidte. In many re-
spects this is very anomalous group
Of insects, differing greatly even from
closely allied forms in appearance,
habit and developments.
The newly Matched scale bug is
ovid in outline, much fiattened,
furnished with six legs, a pair Of
antenne, and an apparatus TOR sucking
the juice from plants. At this stage
of its existence it is very small, a
mere speck, which the unframed eye
could only with difficulty detect. By
means OF a tense, however, they can
be seen crawling in all directions
over the leaves or bark OF an infested
tree. After wandering for a time
the young coccid settles on some
part of the plant, inserts its beak and
begins its growth at the expense OF Its
host. 49,
FROM fh1s point the development
of certain species is quite strange,
appearing to be retrogression In
stead of an advancement to a more
highly organized form, as is the rule
in the development of animals. The
skin is she'd, and with it the legs and
antenne. The coccid thus becomes
degraded grub-like creature, with
no organs of locomotion. The mouth
parts remain, however, i'll highly
developed state, and well fitted to
perform their functions. This appar'
atus is not the least remarkable
thing in the structure of these insects.
1t is terminated by thread-like
organ, which is frequently much
longer than the body of the insect,
and is composed of four deli cate hair
like bristles. By means Of this organ
the insect is firmly attached to the
plant and draws its nourlshment
therefrom. From this stage the de-
yelopment OF the sexes differ.
.~Ihe female coccid soon mouths the
second time, and this shed skin is
Joined to that first moulted and forms
a covering or scale, under which the
insect is to pass its lite. The moulted
skins are, however, insufficient to
cover the body of the coccid, which
increases in size rapidly. To supply
this de6cience a wavy matter is
secreted by the insect and successive
additions thus made to the scale.
The different modes in which these
additions are made from some OF the
characters by which the different
species of scale insects are most
easily distinguished. For example ::
If the waxy matter is added to one
side of the moults and successive
additions made to the same side, a
long and more or less narrow scale is
formed. The common oyster shell
bark louise of the apple and the long
scale of the orange, well known III
Florida, are illustrative OF this KIND
OF scale insects. Ii the waxy matter
be added to all sides ois the mouths
and successive additions are in the
forms OF coucentric rings, circular
scale is formed. To this group
belongs the so>called red scale" Of
this State, and a species which l
propose to call the Cuba scale, which
occurs in a single grove in Florida
as well as the scale most destructive
to fruit in the Santa Clara Valley. LII
80. +hn cnnln is nearly circnlar