Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-16
THOSE AUSTRALIAN PARASITES,
Quarantine officer Grow Finds
Them Doing Well.
The Result Of An Examination Made
BY Bug Experts.
The Orcus Chaly beus Established in This
County--The steel-Bloe Ladybirds
Doing weli-Other Bugs Max
ing Good Pfogress.

lowing report to Secretary Lelong, O
the state board of horticulture, on tn,
new Australian parasites brought here
Z by Mr.. Albert Koebele:
In accordance with letter of instruc
tions OF August Goth, to proceed together
with Mr.. Albert Koebele, to Los Angeles,
San Gabriel, Orange and Santa Barbara
and make an inspection and report upon
the condition of the beneficial insects
that have been placed there, and which
were sent over by Mr.. Koebele from
Australia during his recent mission to
this country, having completed said ex-
animation, / beg to herewith submit the
following report:
On August 3lst, Mr.. Albert Koebele
and myself visited the orange orchard Of
Albert F. Kercheval, at Los Angeles :,
where the first colonies of lady birds
from Australia were placed, and which
arrived last winter and spring. Beside
ua there were present John Scott, horti-
cultural commissioner of Los Angeles
county, d. w. Coquillett, special agen.
of the department of agriculture, Henry
w. Kruckeberg, editor Rural Califor-
nian, j. r. Dobbins, A. Scott Chapman,
of San Gabriel, and others.
We made very careful examination
OF this place and found beetles eggs,
larvae and pupm of the steel-blue lady
bird, orcus chalybeus. The first ship
ments OF insects we're received in very
feeble condition, and having, as DR..
Koebele stated, hibernated in Australia
and probably deposited their eggs be-
fore he captured them, the result of
these first consIgnments was not Very
M 1aka -,
tions were received in good condition,
and upon our visit we found sufficient OF
their eggs and pupe to justify the as
sertion that this species has become es-
tablished at Los Angeles.
Mr.. KOebele says that this is the in
sect that keeps the red scale (aspediotus
aurantii) in check in the orange groves
in Australia, notwithstanding that
parasite preys on there ladybirds there,
which destroys fully 80 per cent of their
first brood and about 80 per cent of the
second brood. Great care was taken not
to introduce this parasite, which ;s such
deadly enemy to them. When Mr..
.Koebele discovered that the young of
these ladybugs were preyed upon by
parasite, he sent only mature beetles to
California; thus it may be safely said,
that 1t will only be matter of time
when we shall reasonably hope for the
rapid increase of these valuable insects,
and even better results from them than
are obtained in Australia.
In another orchard at Los Angeles
where a colony had been placed, we
found but few beetles and larvae, but
enough to show that at this place also
they had become established. The trees
at this place were large and had been
pruned high, 90 were somewhat difficult
to examine.
On September 1st, Mr.. John Scott,
Mr.. Hiram Hamilton, horticultural
commissioners of Los Angeles and
Orange counties, respectively, and N.Y.
self, examined the orchard where col
ony of the steel blue ladybirds you sent
Mr.. Hamilton had been placed. We
found these doing we'll, and there were
plenty OF beetles and eggs from which
small larv@s were Matching, and were
at work upon the red scale. These lady
birds had only been out on the tree 16
days, and as they are breeding there
successfully, it is conclusive proof that
the earlier importations had already de-
posted their eggs before they arrived.
On September I'd, Mr.. John Scott,
Col. j. r. Dobbins OF San Gabriel, Mr..
Koebele and myself inspected the Dob
bins orchard at San Gabriel, where one
of the first colonies of these insects was
placed. OF these we failed to find any
trace, which was due to their bad con-
dition upon arrival. The box contain
ing the dead insects was produced,
which established this fact. A later
importation which you sent Mr.. Chap
man, sixteen days before our visit, ar
rived in good condition, but we did not
find any on the trees upon which they
were placed; they no doubt will make
their appearance in other portions of
the orchard later on.
On September 3rd, Mr.. Koebele and
mysely visited Hon. Ellwood Cooper's
orchard at Santa Barbara. 1t was at
this place that several species were lib.
Grated in the open orchard Immediately
upon arrival. We found four species
that have become we'll established, viz:
Orcus chaly ybeus, orcus Australasia.
Rhizobius ventralis and a small
scymnodes. OF all these we found
beetles, eggs, larvae and pup@. The
trees upon which they were placed are
infested with black scale, and they are
feeding upon it. Mr.. Cooper placed
these insects in an orchard where he
considered the conditions as to tempera-
ture and protection from the prevailing
winds, favorable for their colonization.
On September 9th I visited the or
chard at Haywards, Alameda county,
where Mr.. Koebele had himself placed
several species. I found beetles of the
orcus Australasia and rhizobius ventra-
lis, apparently doing we'll. At this
place muslin tent was placed over a
lemon tree, where the thalpocares coc-
cophagus, an enemy to the black scale,
is being bred.
placed small colony of orcuH Aus
tralasia and rhizobius ventralis upon
trees infested with pernicious scale, in
Alameda, and upon examination, two
days ago, we found beetles, larvae and
pupae. The larvae have fed upon the
scale and passed through their moults
into we'll developed pup@, proving con-
clusively that they will prey upon this
scale.
The new Australian ladybird, novius
Koebelei, OF which only three live in
sects were received last April, and
which were bred in the Office, have null
tiplied very rapidly, and from these
many thousands have been distributed. !.
The successful colonization OF this lady
bird has fully sustained Mr.. Koebele in
the statement that they are even bettef
than the vedalia cardinals for keeping
the cottony cushion scale in check. The
colony OF 30 which you gave Mr.. John
Coott Qt T.oc Anua1au hos doro x.,olI