LADY BIRDS.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13108, 17 May 1911, Page 4

LADY BIRDS.

SOME OF THBftt 'tJSId,

A writer in tha "Sydney; Morning Herald" says:—The usefulness of, lady birds in the destruction, of aphiß Or scale in.fieG.ts in So welt recognised and re^Slon that a regular trade in the insects has sprung up between entomologists in various countries, and frequently orders are given for So many quarts. Some ysa r g agd a jdestruetive SOale mS'efct appeared in the orange grOyeS of GalMmtd, Dr. C. V-. .RilesH, ..fKjjj \\%i then the United StaTSS Entomologist,, discovered that the troublesome visitor was the cottony cushion soale', whibli jta# feeli br6ught to California M tt;ees "imported frr»ifl AustMia.. Knowing that the scale did very little damage, in Australia, he concluded that some* natural enemy must be resident theirs to kßiip it in check. In Consequence, Albert KoelielS was sent out to investigate, and the result was the introduction into California of a small red and black lady bird. Within two years the scale mentioned ha dalmost vanished, and the citrus crope had increased onflrmously-. Other specicta of the lauy bird were similarly introduced to 'dealwith other pests'. Since then California has regularly ekp'bHed consignments oT !a% birds to various countries to deal with the mealy bug pests. Throe years ago three quarts of lady birds were sent from Californi* to Now Zealand ta use thorn against the woiilly ftlihis, Although they were delayed in transit} and, occupied ffln weeks.., oq .tilts }ourhoy, a sufficient number—^one quart—survived to effect a distribution over the whole Dominion, and in many districts their introduction was completely successful; in others It Was said that they were destroyed by insectivorous birds, though this contention iloefe nirit Whirl j*» be.wfeit e^tflblislied. It would bb interesting to know whether ingecteating biiils really davotu' lady bird's, The latter's bright colruil; may aftord tliem^ prote'ntiiiil iii that it may give tfarning to birds that insects oi: their particular and appearance are not good to eat. The writer has taken particular notice of a group of starlings and silver-eyas in a garden whore lady birds and aphis were plentiful). aiUl the silver-eyes occupied themselves entirely with the aphis, while the starlings set about the debris looking for wood lice and othor big game. In each case, the lady birds were left alone. In New Zealand, also, a small blackish lady bird has been entirely successful in destroying the Eriilocbccus scale) which ftifects and ruins many Of the eucalyptus. Indeed, were it not for the presence of the lady bird many thousands of acres of our bcxuitiful Australian forests would be devastated annually by this and other sealo peatßi The growers of roses and Reaches arid cabbages have good opportunity to observe, and good reason to appreciate, tha work of the lady birds.