The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-13
AFRIENDLY INSECT
The Little Wasp That Is
Improving the Park.
An Enemy to the Mysterious Scale
Which Has Been Ravaging the
Monterey Pines.

An enemy TO the scale bug which has
been eating the life out of the thousands
o Monterey pines planted in Golden Gate
Park has appeared in the shape of little
wasp about the size of NORTH Beach flea.
The discovery OF the friendly insect has
recently been made to the great joy of the
Park Commissioners and Superintendent
MeLaren. The rand destruction of these
beautiful trees for the past FIVE years was
noted with considerable alarm, as the
park is very thickly planted with them.
One reason assigned fer cutting down a
large number bout two years ago was to
check the process of decay which seemed
to threaten a wide area Of the densest foil
age in the park.
Cuti0usly enough, notwithstanding the
existence Of the scale bug has been known
for a long time. il has not yet been de-
scribed in any standard chronological
work. Quarantine Officer Alexander Craw
has been investigating its peculiarities and
calls il the LeeanlUm insignicOlla. He
says it attacks only tina pinuS group, and
he can only account for its presence in
Golden Gate PARK on the theory that it
was imported with some foreign stock
some years ago, ana in the beautiful Mon
terey pine found the nourlshmant most
suited to It's taste. The only other section
where il has been seen is in Oakland. Not
q single bug has been discovered in the
vicinity of Monterey, the home oil the very
popular ornamental trees.
Park Superintendent McLaren showed O
CALL reporter a tree infected with this
ugly looking pest. lis raYages, he said,
had done great deal of damage, but the
signs we're strong that the scale was being
steadily conquered by the little wasplsh
parasite. which had attacked it with the
most benefcent results. Everywhere the
Monterey pines we're giving indications OF
a new and vigorous life, and Mr.. McLaren
felt very hopeful of the ultimate exter-
mination of the scale aud the consequent
uninterrupted growth OF a class of trees
which had done more to enhance the
beauty of the park than any other.
The Leeanlum insignicOlla Is about the
size of q chicken mite, is dark amber in
color and forms in thick clusters in the
crotches Of the Monterey pine branches.
Mr.. McLaren has been unable to find any
Of the scale on the other pines, such as the
sugar, Digger, yellow. white and French.
Mr.. Craw says he believes that II not
| checked it would finally attack all tue
pines, though it would not touch the frs.
Before the appearance Of the natural
enemy TO this scalebug the experiment
had been tried Of putting an infected
branch of Monterey pine under glass
case, along with lot Of Australian lady
plished such wonders IN Kidding orange
trees of the black scale. showed no dispo-
sition, however, to wage war on the
Lecanium insignicolla.
MI Craw exhibited under 500 power
microscope the interesting little insect
which is now dong such good work for
the people in Golden Gate Park. He calls
ii chaleid fly. 1t Is a very beautiful
specimen of the wasp family, but when on
the wing Is too small to be perceived 1t
has four gauZelike wings.
Its method of attack is TO pierce the
back of the sealebug and with its ovio-
pository to deposit an egg in its body.
This later matches out as a little blind
grub and then goes through all the changes
inside the body of the ale until il reaches
the chrysalis stage. Then it hatclies out
as perfect four-winged fly and secures its
freedom by emitting circular hole through
the back of the scale and makes its exit a
perfect wasp. 1t preys on fruit scale as
well as on the Mon Grey pine scale.
A stock of an infested treeshas been sen t
to the Gifts High School. where the STU
dents of the class in entom illogical science
are studying the peculiarities of this
latest pest to nurserymen.