Downes, W.

English

Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia

ENF1MOLOGICAL Soc. 01' BRITISH COLUMBIA, PROC. (1950), VOL. 47, JULY 15. 195 I 43 SCIENCE NOTES Orthezia occidental is, an Ensign coccid, in British Columbia (Homoptera: Ortheziidae). In the middle of October, 1945, .Mr. Peterski, hus driver of Powell Hiver . • \'110 lives a short distanee out of that tOWIl, looked Qut I.JIle morlling and sa-w what looked like 3; light fall of :-mow on byo acres only of OIle of his fields which had been cleared but lIot cultivated. .A light wind was hlowing but the morlling was not cold so :MI'. Peterski "Yent out to investig·ute. He found that the white ('overing consisted of moving particles, so he took some in to Dr. Boxall of Powell River Clink. Being very interested in natural ltiston', Dr. Boxall \veJlt out to the field and found that the alleged SIIOW consist{'d of smal1. fiat in~ects shaped like bedbugs \\hich were covel'ed all on!l' with tiny, orerlapping' particles of white wax. By the time he got to the field. the insects had all ois-;tppeared under gra~s and moss and could be found only :.it gToUlHl lev(ll. lIe collected a number and ~ellt them to me. I identified them tentatively as Orthezia occi-dentalis Douglas ano forwarded them to the ~ational Colleetion at Otta \ya where a specialist cOllfinned my idelltification. adding that there is one record of it from Kaslo and one from Yictoria, made by 'Ir. Downes. P1'ofessor "Essig ill College Entomology-" reports it from .\laska where it feeds on-the roots of plants. This snow-white speeies must have fed OIl the root-~ Ilf gTa'Sr:;t-'~ or plant . .:;; at I'o\\"ell River where it apparently developed unseen until it increased enormously and cl'owded to the tops of low vegetation ill such Ilumben; as to whiten the field. Tile Orthezia Hcales are almost. entirely tropical speeies of which one, Orthezia insignis Douglas, has become a greenhouse pest which is \\-idely distributed by commerce. So far, I have taken only one other native species, as yet unidentified, of which I collected an isolated colony on sagebrush at MacGillivray's, half-way between Lytton and Lillooet, in .July, 19:n __ -G_ .L SIlencer. Department of Zoology, Uuiyersity of British Columbia. Further note on Orthezia occidental is-By a curious roillcicienee the :'>pedmells recorded from Kaslo. B. C., were ill the possession of the Editor when the above flote by Professor Spencer was received. They were inc'ludell in a small colledion of Hemiptera made by the late A. \Y. 1Ianham, 1l0\V the proverty of the Pro-villcial Museum. There were also some spc('imens with a date, but. 110 lorality label, which were probably taken at Duncan. Or{hezia occidentalis is a much commoner inseet. than is generally supposed but owing to its habit of livillg down among the crowns 01' clumps of grass it is seldom seen if flot searched fnr. 1t is common ill '-idoria alld probabl.\' o('vul's at many poiTltH OIl the east ('oast of Yallcouver h;hllld and the :ldjaeellt main-ldIld.-\\'. Downes. Yieioria, B. C. ANSELL LABORATORIES LTD. VERNON, B. C. Manufacturers and Distributors of Chelnicai P'lOJuct3 INSECTICIDES CLEANING COMPOUNDS Special Mixing LABORATORY SUPPLIES AND CHEMICALS for ASSAY OFFICES, EDUCATIONAL, HOSPITAL and INDUSTRIAL LABORATORIES Cave & Company, Limited 567 HORN BY STREET VANCOUVER, B. C. MArine 8341 

Further note on Orthezia occidentalis

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Further note on Orthezia occidentalis

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Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia