Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-01

ering. Head is yellow; eyes black
ocelli bright red, posterior portion O
head and pronotum are very dark brown
Thorax golden yellow abdominal seq
ments are dark brown, almost black
wings are furnished with long margina
hairs; the surface Of the fore wings are
covered with short hairs, with the ex
ception of strip commencing near the
stigma and extending around the wins
to nearly the opposite edge. Legs ligh
yellow.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
We will undoubtedly always have the
yellow scale; but no doubt the trees ant
fruit can be kept in healthy AID clear
condition by this parasite. | woult
therefore recommend the colonization O.
it wherever the yellow scale" is found
In two former articles | have recon-
mended that an effort be made to col
onize this parasite upon the true red
scale, aspidiotus aurantii but, in re.
cent visit to the Villa grove, had con-
elusive proof that this will be impossi-
Bile. or at least OF no practical benefit.
Mr.. Cogswell called my attention to a
different scale he noticed upon lime
tree near the hotel. This proved to be
A. aurantii, and | advised the destruc-
tion of the infested trees, as this scale
would be more serious pest to contend
With for nothing but fumigation
with hydrocyanic acid gas has
been OF any avail against it.
cannot account for its appearance there
unless it has been taken upon an orange
by visitor to the hotel and the infested
peel thrown under or onto the lime tree.
HOW TO coLoNIzE THE PARASITE.
| The colonization OF this parasite will
not be as satisfactory to the orange
growers as was that of the vedalia car
dinalis, because we cannot see the larva
pick up the scale and devour it, how
ever, If they are introduced in an orange
grove infested with yellow scale, the
beneficial results will be certain even if
not Immediately observable, as was the
case with the vedalia. Branches should
be obtained with scale-infested leaves
from an orchard known to contain para
sites in numbers. This can he ascer-
tanned by placing a few infested leaves
in white paper box, closing them up
tightly with cover; and after few days
the box and leaves should be exam
ined with magnifying glass, this is
really necessary; for even with good
eyesight they will be overlooked, as they
are so very minute,-if numbers are
found, branches should be taken. and
the ends placed in boxes containing wet
sand or soil; this will keep the leaves
fresh, and allow the parasites to develop
and hatch. AS the branches dry up,
Others can be procured and the opera
tion repeated. The boxes should be
placed under the trees in the shade. or
be secured in the branches, and so To-
Gated in the orchard that the prevailing
summer winds may aid materially in
their distribution.
GOLDEN cHALcID.-New species.
UNNAMED
This new parasite is also working on
the yellow scale, and is indeed very
promising. 1t was first observed
in Duarte; but recently | re-
ceived specimens from an or
chard near the Stoneman tract,
San Gabriel, and also from an orchard
In Alhambra. 1t is very interesting to
know that from the infested branches
received from these orchards none OF the
coccophagus citrinus were Matched,
OIdt tillS utW6T Sp6ClCs Is Work
ing by itself upon the scale in those dis.
tricts.
This parasite is much larger than the
other. and of "A bright 9aslen-yallow
NOTES. 81
Some OF the internal parasites have,
like the scales they attack, but one gem
Grafton each year. This is the case with
the one upon the black scale, lecanum
olese. Seventy-five per cent. of these
scales are annually destroyed by a para
site, dilophogaster California;, Howard.
This is great check to what would
otherwise prove a very destructive
scale; but the parasite only deposits
eggs in the mature scales and just about
the time the latter contain eggs, so that
the twenty-five per cent that escape the
parasites are sufficient to again infest
the tree, from the fact that each scale
contains from seven hundred to one
thousand eggs. But it will be fully ten
months before the scales are developed
enough. to be attacked by the Dilopho-
CASTER. This is not the case with the
parasite of the yellow scale. They are
breeding all the time. l have found
them every month in the year; and
half-grown yellow scale is ample food to
develop and mature parasite.
Chamber of Commerce Donations.