Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-30
MORE BUGS.
Foreign Pest DestrOyers for
Orchardists.
They Will Save Fruit Growers
Millions.
The Bugologists of the State Are in
Ecstacies.
Arrivals at the State Board of Hor-
ticulture- They All Come to
Los Angeles to Be
Cared For.

Secretary Lelong and Quarantine fiji
Ger Craw of the state board OF horticul-
ture were in ecstacies yesterday, says
the San Francisco Chronicle. All the
afternoon they bent over mysterious
looking set of boxes and talked learnedly
of bugs. There were bugs in boxes, bugs
on the tables, bugs on chairs, bugs in
the air and bugs everywhere about the
place. In all there were about 5000
beetles. and OF that number between 200
and 800 were alive. "Those insects" +"
said Mr.. Lelong, 81 confidently believe
will be worth over $20,000,0OO to the
state"
When the Australian ship Monowal
arrived on Christmas she had ON board
the consignment of little insects that
are expected to do so much good to the
state. They had made the trip in the
ice chest to keep them dormant, Mr.. Le
long explained. They were Immediately
taken to the state board of horticulture
and sent off, after careful examination,
to be colonized i'll Los Angeles. They
were sent here by Prof. Albert Koebele,
who went to Australia. New Zealand
and adjacent countries as the accredited
agent Of the department of agriculture
and of the state board OF horticulture to
search for predaceous and parasitic in
sects. Professor Koebele discovered the
vedalia about three years ago, and their
introduction into the orchards of the
state has meant proft of countless
millions. With his present shipment
he sends positive assurance that the
beetles will be found all that is neces-
sary to destroy the dangerous insects OF
the state. If he be col lrect in his esti-
nation of their value then the bugs that
came upon the Monowai will represent
by far the most important event in the
horticultural history of California. He
considers them more valuable even than
the vedalia.
There are representatives OF thirty
species OF beetles sent in the last lot.
They are all new to the state and little
is known of their habits other than the
brief statement of their usefulness writ
ten by Professor Koebele. They are
fatal to the pests of all citrus and decid-
uous fruits, apples, prunes, pears,
peaches, oranges, and, in fact, almost
every fruit that grows in the state. One
OF the greatest problems in the mission
of Professor Koebele was the discovery
of some destroyer of the red scale. He
thinks that among the insects which
the officers OF the board of horticulture
inspected so enthusiastically yesterday
will be found the desired destroyer. So
confident is he in his opinion that he de-
clares he will not return to the United
States until the arrivals prove to be all
that he has claimed for them.
Late yesterday afternoon the boxes
were carefully repacked and forwarded
to Prof. D. W. Coquillett, the special
agent of the agricultural depart
ment at Los Angeles. He will
endeavor to colonize the in
sects preparatory to their dis
tribution among the orchards. Tents
will be put over the trees on which they
are to be placed. AS soon as they show
signs of activity and life they will be
placed free in the orchards OF the county.
The state legislature at its last session
appropriated $4,000 for the investigations
now in progress. That the investment
will save millions of dollars there can
beno doubt. Professor Koebele is now
in New Zealand. His investigations
take him to many islands in the South
seas, and before he returns he may go
to South Africa. He will be kept at
work as long as the appropriation will
permit. 1t is expected that he will be
away at least two years.
A short while ago he sent 1000 bugs
similar to those received on Christmas.
Out of that number only twenty eight
lived, but they multiply with marvel
GUS rapidity. Neither lot will show
much result until warmer weather sets
IN. Then the value of the bugs Will be
definitely known.
Secretary Lelong gave an account
OF the insects yesterday, with detailed
statement OF their particular usefulness.
"Ghe readers of the Chronicle" he
said, "will remember that only a month
ago we gave full account of predaceous
insects received from Prof. Albert
Koe belle; in the consignment received
yesterday thirty species are represented,
and in letter to me Prof. Koebele
says that he has been very successful in
his researches, and has, he is sure, dis
covered the insects that destroy the red.
black and brown scales which have
caused the fruit-growers no little un-
easiness, and have been great menace
10 the successful production OF several
kinds Of fruits.
''It is only about three years ago that
the vedalia cardinals, the insect that
cXtormln1Ieu bue COICOHy CusHloIi sCalC,
was introduced. 1t gave citrus culture
an impetus extraordinary in its char
acter, for the production OF citrus fruits
this year in California was the largest
ever known in the state. 1t was all due
to the wonderful insect, the vedalia. 1t
1t is hoped that the insects now being
introduced will prove equally as bene-
fetal in eradicating the many orchard
pests that trouble the different fruits.
':The following is a list OF those re-
ceived on Christmas day: Chayptoloe-
ma, feeding on mealy bugs, from Too
mombo; coccinelleda, feeding on the red
scale from Parametta; coccinellid@, new
species of vedalia, feeding on the red
scale at Paramatta; coccinella, feeding
on lecanimus and mealy bugs at Too
nomba; scymnids, feeding on red scale
at Sydney; coccinellid@, feeding. on
wooly aphis at tToomomba; coccinellid@e,
feeding on cocids at Brisbane; cocclnel-
jidm. feeding upon red and white scales
at Toomomba; coccinellida, feeding
npon aphis coccinellide, feeding chiefly
upon the red scale; orcus calyleeus,
feeding upon red scale at Paramatta;
coccinellidae, feeding chiefly upon chryp,,
tocma; orcus seymnid, feeding. ON red
scale at Paramatta; coccinellids, prey
inp on cabbage aphis; scymnlds, prey