Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-04
THE VEDAL|A'S RIVAL,
A New Enemy of the White
Scale.
Secretary Lelong Describes the New
Arrival.
Professor KoebeIe Found Them in Aus
tralia-A Pair of Them Sue
ressfu1ly Colo
nized?

The wonderful work accomplished by
the Australian ladybug in clearing the
citrus orchards of this state from the
cottonv cushion scale, which threatened
the life of the citrus industry, has led to
a more thorough search for beneficial
insects, and to this end Albert Koebele
has been working for some time past in
Australia. As result of his efforts a
number of specimens have been received
at the state board of horticulture and
propsgaied there for distribution. Mr..
Lelong, the secretary, has given for pub
lication the following statement:
''The insect belongs to the ladybird
family and is known az the Novins Koe-
bell Olliff, and it promises to be of more
Importance than even the vedalia.
ION April IA, 1892, we received three
very small and insignificant looking in
sects that prey on the cottony cushion
scale from Albert Koebele, now in Aus
tralia, collecting beneficial insects. Mr..
Koebele discovered this insect in Aus
tralia, and it was named in
honor OF our distinguished friend
by Sidney Ollif, government en-
tomologist Of New South Wales.
As soon as these insects were received
they were turned over to our entomolo-
gist, Alexander Grow, who placed them
in a small glass jar, in which branches
infected with cottony cushion scale had
been previously placed for them to feed
on. Subsequently one OF these insects
died, leaving but two, which, on April
26th, changed to the .pupa or chrysalis
state, and on May 1st the perfect beetles
emerged, and fortunately were male and
female. On May 4th the female de-
posted eggs, which Matched May 9th.
The young larvae were carefully reared,
and after passing through three molts
changed into the pupa state, and on
June Sd ffty-fve perfect beedles came
out, thus occupying just thirty one days
from the egg to the beetle stage. When
liberated on trees they will no doubt
pass through their transformation in
much less time. In about month we
beetles for distribution.
The successful colonization of this
insect was most fortunate, and while we
already have cottony cushion scale ex-
terminator in the vedalia, an insect for
merly introduced, yet this one adds an
other chapter to the annals of economic
entomology hitherto Unprecedented.
'In previous articles the beneficial
insects discovered by Mr.. Koebsle were
reported to show what is being done by
way of their introduction, with the
hope that they would accomplish the
same results here as in their native
country if once they became estab-
lished. While this investigation was
still in progress statements appeared in
the public press advising that what was
then said be taken with great deal of
allowance, and one in particular read
1T will be many years yet, perhaps CEN
turies, but most likely never, before we
succeed in introducing beneficial insects
that will free our fruit trees of all the
insect pests that attack them. The
work that the vedalia accomplished is
without precedent in the entire annals
of economic entomology, and therefore
we can scarcely hope for repetition of
IL in the case of the recently imported
Species Thus a damper was thrust
upon the objects in view, but which
theories, thanks to nature, she has, as
here shown, laid low, and hope never
to arise again.
''The discovery of this valuable in
sect, whose functions equal, if not sur
pass, the vedala cardinals, ought to ex-
clude those condemning on theory from
the field of exper:menters OF modern ag-
riculture.
Experiments will soon be made to
determine upon what other species it
will also work, and the results will be
given to the public from time to time.
''The beetle is slightly smaller than
the vedalia cardinallis, averaging one
eighth of an inch in length. The elytra
are cardinal red when the perfect beetle
issues from the pupa case, afterward
changing to deep blood red. The male
has black line down the center OF the
back from the thorax to the point of the
abdomen, where it widens, extending
forward along the lower edge of the
elytra to near the center, where it ter
inmates in a small blotch. The head
and thorax are dark. and together with
the elvtra are densely covered with mi
.croscopic light or yellowish hairs. The
legs are black, with the exception of the
tarsi, which are buff colored.
s'The female can readily be distin-
guished from the male in having the
central black line extending only half
way down the back. The balance OF
the wing covers are blood red, with
the exception of two faint spots, one
slightly under the center of each wing
cover, but in some specimens this is not
discernable.
"The eggs measure three-hundredths
of an inch in length by one-hundredth
of an inch wide, and are deep blood-red
in color. The female deposits them
upon or near the scale, 80 that when
the larv@ hatch they conveniently find
their food. The eggs are laid singly or
in small patches upon their sides, in
stead of being attached at the end to
the leaf or twig, as is the case with the
twice-stabbed and some other species OF
ladybirds. In five days they hatch into
small, six-legged larvae very much re-
.sembling the young of the icerys, upon
which they feed. In confinement they
pass through three molts and the chry-
sails state into perfect beetles within
thirty-one days, but in the warm orch
ards and sunshine this time will prob
ably be reduced ten days.
"The larvae when full grown measure
bout .18 of an inch, and are thickly
vered with white powder or fine cot
on, but generally leaving the seq
aents we'll defined. When newly
,nolted they are brownish-red or
chocolate colored. Down each side
of the back are what appear like