The Florida agriculturist., 1906-02-28
The Manatee Snail, Bumu1us
Dormant.


The sooty mold of orange, MeliOla
is one of the most serious results OF
white fly infestation of citrus groves
and is an element in the injury tO
various plants from aphids and from
some of the scale insects, especially
the Lecaniums, merely bugs, wax
scales. and cottony cushion scale. The
fungus is not itself a parasite on the
plant. but saprophyte, deriving its
sustenance from the sweet honey dew
secreted by these insects. The injury
to the plant results from the smother
ing action of the fungus, the heavy
coating of fungal threads interfering
with the healthful action of sunlight
on the leaves. The appearance of the
various ornamental and hedge plants
is also disfgured by the dark fungus.
The sOoty mold is especially bad fol
lowing the white fly attack owing to
the large amount of honey dew secret
ed by these insects. AS the white fly
larvae attach themselves to the under
side of the leaves the honey dew ex-
uded by them falls to the top side of
the leaves beneath, thus affOrding
favorable opportunity for the growth
of the fungus. So constant is the as
sOciatiOn of the fungus and the white
fly that badly infested groves and
hedges may be recognized at some dis
tance by the heavily coated dark
foliage. The fungus develop on the
fruit as well as on the leaves and
stem and washing becomes necessary,
resulting not only in an added expense,
a in do of n
in shipping In this connection the
habits of the tree snail, Bulimulus
Dormant, are of the greatest interest
This snail has been found in the or
ange groves in Manatee county feed
ing upon the sOoty mold. Just how
long the snail has been present on
orange trees in this county it is i'm
possible to say. 1t was observed as
long as two years ago by Mr.. F. d.
Waite, at Palmetto. 1t seems to have
been present in small number i'm other
groves at this time, but attracted no
further attention until the present
summer The snail is now widely dis
tributed in Manatee county, occurring
in many groves on both sides of the
Manatee river. The work of the snails
is very characteristic. When well
started they occur in great numbers
on the tree spreading over it from
base to top. It's favorite food seems
to be the sooty mold The fungus is
cleaned from the leaves, stems, and
fruit The leaves thus cleaned have
a glossy, shiny appearance as though
free from white fly. The fruit thus
cleaned has better color and probably
ripens earlier. In addition to the fun
gus, the snail takes algae and some
lichens from the stem and trunk,
giving the trunk much cleaner and
fresher look. The trees that are clean
ed stand out conspicuOusly from the
surrounding trees by their bright foil
age and clean trunks. The snails in
crease rapidly under favorable con-
ditiOns. The eggs are probably de-
posted in protected places about the
trunks of the trees, possibly also
about the base of the tree under leaves
and other rubbish. That the snails
are capable of doing effective work
when present in sufficient numbers
has been shown in numerous groves
in Manatee county during the present
summer. Such trees in these groves
as are well stocked with the snails
have been thoroughly cleaned, the
fruit not requiring washing.
The snails are of medium size,
measuring, when full grown, three