Date Palm Insects in The United States

Circular No.
846
Date Palm Insects in the

United States
by FENNER S, STICKNEY, D W IG H T F. BARNES

and
PEREZ SIMMONS
Entomologists
Division of Fruit Insect Investigations
Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine
A gricultural Research Adm inistration
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

W A SH IN G TO N , D. C., SEPTEMBER 1950
if'
Circular No. 846

September 1950 • W ashington, D. C.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Date Palm Insects in the United States

By F e n n e r S . S t i c k n e y , D w i g h t F . B a r n e s , a n d P e r e z S i m m o n s , Entomologists,
D ivision of F r u it In sect Investigations, B ureau of Entomology and P lan t Quar
antine, Agricu ltu ral R esearch Administration.^
CONTENTS
Page Page
Introdvietion____________________ 1 Minor pests infesting d a te s_____ 47
M ajor in sect p ests in festin g date N avel orangew orm ___________ 47
palm s and date fr u its _______ 3 D ate stone b eetle_____________ 48
P arlatoria date sca le_________ 3 European grain m o th ________ 48
R ed date sca le________________ 8 H airy fungus b eetle__________ 49
D a te m ite____________________ 15 M ites in stored d a te s_________ 49
D ateb u g______________________ 22 R u sty grain b eetle___________ 50
B ees, hornets, and w asp s_____ 26 Vinegar flies_________________ 50
F ig b eetle____________________ 28 W estern leaf-footed bug______ 51
N itid u lid b eetles_____________ 29 Control of insects on dates in
R aisin m o th __________________ 39 storage____________________ 51
Indian-m eal m o th ____________ 40 F um igation __________________ 51
S aw -toothed grain b eetle_____ 42 Low tem peratures____________ 53
M erchant grain b eetle________ 44 Literature cite d ________________ 54
M inor pests infesting date palms_ 44
A pache cicad a------------------------ 44
G iant palm borer____________ 46
P alm rhinoceros b eetle_____ 46
INTRODUCTION
T h is publication contains in fo rm atio n on th e appearance and
h abits of date palm insects, and on m ethods fo r reducing- th e dam age
caused by them . I t is based largely on th e results of two separate
investigations. T he first was begun in 1921 an d was carried on in te r
m itte n tly fo r 15 years by th e senior au th o r, who died on A u g u st 15,
^T h e generous, long-continued cooperation by date growers and date packing

house officials has m ade these in vestigation s possible. A ssistan ce of the personnel
o f the U nited S tates D ate Garden at Indio, C alif., and of the U niversity of Arizona
E xperim ental D ate Garden a t Tempe, Ariz., is also acknowledged. Members of
the staff at th e Citrus Experim ent Station, U niversity of Qalifornia, Riverside,
C alif., cooperated in th e in vestigation s during 1945-48,
879506 - 50 -
2 CIRCULAR 8 4 6, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
1936. H is notes and p relim in ary m anuscript d ra fts liave been sum
m arized and bro u g h t up to date by th e th ird author. Stickney worlied
chiefly on the p a rla to ria date scale, th e red date scale, th e date mite,
the datebug, the A pache cicada, and the In d ian -m eal moth. H e also
com piled inform atio n on th e palm rhinoceros beetle, the g ia n t pahn
borer, and th e saw -toothed g rain beetle. INfost of th e lite ra tu re re f
erences w ere assembled by him.
T h e other program of research, by the second author, was begun
late in 1945, in cooperation w ith the C alifo rn ia C itru s E xperim ent
S tatio n a t Riverside. P rogress rep o rts of th is phase of the date-
insect w ork liave been publislied in tlie R eports of th e D ate (jrow ers’
In s titu te (B arnes and L indgren 11 and iS , Bliss and L indgren
L indgren, Bliss, and B arnes,
D u rin g the interval between th e two investigations, changes in the
ag ric u ltu re of the Coachella V alley created a more favorable environ
m ent fo r th e developm ent of certain insects. A d d itio n al date palms
w ere planted, and those already in production increased in size and
shaded the soil su rface more. Grai:>efruit trees, interp lan ted with
d ate palm s, added to the c u ll-fru it supply, and the production of
tom atoes, melons, grapes, and sweet corii provided new food for the
insects.
I n the fa ll of 19i3 ra p id rip en in g of the date crop and an inadequate
su p p ly of labor p erm itted mucli ripe fru it to rem ain too long on the
palm s, and infestatio n s b u ilt up to serious proportions. Ripening
was slower and infestations were lig h ter in 1944, b u t in 1945 rains
in J u ly and A ugust dam aged th e date crop severely, causing the fru it
to sour and m old on the bunches. Losses, cliietly from diseases
and in festatio n by insects of th e group known as nitidulids, were esti
m ated to be about $945 per acre thro u g h o u t the 3,300 acres of bearing
gardens, a to ta l loss of over $3,100,000.
A bout 25 species of insects th a t affect dates are discussed in the
follow ing pages. G row ers and packers of dates are likely to en
counter m ost of them at sometime d u rin g th e ir operations. These
insects v ary in im portance from tim e to tim e, often as a result of
seasonal influences. I n some cases, fo r exam ple, when rain s damage
rip en in g dates, the sudden increase of certain species is due to the
presence of abnorm al am ounts of waste fru it. A t other times, how
ever, th e reasons fo r fluctuations are not a]i])arent.
A lthough no clear-cut division of date insects can be made on the
basis of th e ir feeding habits, they can be grouped loosely into species
th a t attack the palm , those found chiefly on or in the developing
fru it, species th a t feed on d ropped dates decaying on th e ground, and
those th a t attack stored dates. I n the w arm regions where dates
are produced, the stored-product species, found only indoors in tem
p erate clim ates, are able to live in date gardens tlu-oughout the year.
T h ere are tw o general types of insect developm ent and both are
found am ong the pests of date palms. In th e sim ple ty p e the newly
hatched insect develops to th e ad u lt stage th ro u g h a series of larval
m olts and size changes w ith o u t passing th ro u g h a p u p al stage. The
o u tstan d in g feature of th is so-called incom plete m etam ori)hosis is
th a t the final or a d u lt stage resembles the larv al stage, in most cases.
^ Ita lic juuiiber? in parentheses refer to L iterature Cited, p. 54,
DATE PALM IN'SECTS IN THE UNITE® STATE'S 3
Larviio of insects th a t have th is type of fiTowtli often are referi'ed to

as nym phs. A good exam]>le of an insect h a v i n g - incom plete ineta-
nioi'phosis is the gvasshopi)ev, fo r an ad u lt looks much like a young
one. W ith m inor exceptions th is also describes the life histories of
th e ])arlatoria date scale, th e red date scale, the datebug, the A pache
cicada, and th e w estern leaf-footed bug.
I n contrast, the m oths, beetles, bees, and flies th a t attack date palm s
o r date f r u it pass th ro u g h th ree stages a fte r h atch in g —larva, pupa,
and adult. T h e ir m etam orphosis or form change is complete.
T he A pache cicada develops in a m anner interm ediate between the
types represented by a grasshopper and a moth. A lthough its m eta
m orphosis is chvssed as incom plete, it passes th ro u g h a p u p al stage
th a t differs from the larval stage. H owever, th e p u p a is active, not
statio n ary , as is the pupa of a m oth or beetle. Likewise, the im m ature
m ales of the date scale insects g rad u ally d ep art from a ty pical
nym ])hal form and assume a pupal condition fo r a tim e before the
ad u lt emerges.
INIites th a t attack dates pass th ro u g h incomplete m etam orphosis.
They differ in stru ctu re from insects in having an undivided body,
no antennae, and, except when newly hatched, eight legs instead of six.
MAJOR INSECT PESTS INFESTING DATE PALMS AND

DATE FRUITS
P arlatoria D ate S cale
Tlie p arla to ria date scale {Parlaioria lHancharfli (T a r^ .)) was first
observed in the U n ited S tates on offshoots of the date palm {Phoenix
dactilifera L.) received in W ashington, D. C., from A lgeria d u rin g
the sum m er of 1890. S h o rtly a fte r its discovery th is scale was studied
abroad and described as a new species by T arg io n i Tozzetti in 1892
{65). O ther accounts of th e insect have appeared from tim e to tim e
in A m erican and foreign literatu re, b u t little has been published con
cerning the details of its biology.
C ontributors to th e literatu re on th is insect include Cockerell {2If.,
26), B uxton (£3), Rao, Rao, and D u tt {S6), and Balachow sky (6),
who have supplied general inform ation. T he anatom y has been de
scribed by T argio n i Tozzetti {6S) and Stickney (63). Balachow sky
( 4 , S) has published an account of the pred ato rs th a t attack th e scale.
Rem edial m easures have been discussed by Forbes (36) and Boyden
{16,17, IS, 19,20,21).
A s rep o rted by Boyden {21) the efforts tow ard eradication, which
were begun in 1907, were bro u g h t to an ap p aren tly successful con
clusion 29 years later. The fact th a t the p a rla to ria date scale has
been elim inated as a handicap to date production in th e U nited S tates
does not remove it as a subject of interest, or even of possible fu tu re
concern.
nature of in ju r y
T he p a rla to ria date scale is capable of spreading over all surfaces

of the foliage and f r u it of the date palm (fig. 1 ), and has a tendency
to encrust all p a rts of the tree. H eavy infestations m ay extend deep
4 CIRCULAR 8 4 6 , U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Figure 1.— Parlatoria date scale infesting dates.
dow n behind the fiber on th e w hite tissue and fiber bands o f th e leaf
bases.
These are inaccessible areas, as seen by th e stru ctu re of th e palm .
T he stalk of each leaf is expanded into a wide, th in basal portion,
w hich extends entirely aro u n d the tru n k and clasps it tig h tly like a
DATE PALM INSECTS IN THE UNITED STATES 5
collar (fig. 2 ). A_closely spaced succession of overlapping leaf bases

covers the tru n k fi'oin g round level to th e single grow ing bud a t the
tip of the p lan t. Eacli leaf base is overlapped by portions of sev('n
others.
A t the line of the leaf's attaclunent to the ti'unk the h'af-base tissue
is w hitish and of the consistency of m oist leather. A t v ary in g d is
tances above the line of attach m en t the w hite tissue becomes a brow n
fabric of in terlacin g fibers. T he fray ed edges of the fiber bands form
a ro ugh brow n packing between th e leaf stalks. Scale insects fav o r th e
succulent w hite tissue, protected by layers of other w hite tissue and of
fiber. Tlie thickened p a rt of tlie base w here th e leafstalk begins is
\
B
Figure 2.— D ate palm leaf base showing: A , Band of w hite tissue w ith red date
scales indicated by dots; B, green exposed part of leaf stem; and C, brown fiber.
likewise protected, and even when the stub of a cut-off leafstalk a p

pears to be dead, soft living tissue persists on it lower down, beneath
the covering of fiber. P robably there is no more w ell-protected, inac
cessible harb o r fo r scale insects th a n on the leaf bases of date palms.
A discolored area of in ju red tissue is form ed w here each individual
p a rla to ria date scale settles and feeds. Thus, the more num erous the
in d iv id u al scales, the g reater is th e am ount of in ju red tissue present.
T he foliage, composed p redom inantly of relatively th in leaflets, or
pinnae, is more seriously affected as infestations develop, u n til even
tu a lly the leaves die. I n advanced stages of in festatio n all older
leaves are either dead or nearly so, and most of the younger leaves
show a heavy infestation above the iiber. Consequently such palm s

are u n th rifty , but usually do not die, because new uninfested leaves
constantly emerge. H owever, th is insect contributes to th e death of
neglected palm s.
DESCRIPTION AND LIFE HISTORY
T he eggs and first-stage nym phs are deep p in k or b rig h t re d ; in

the la te r stages both sexes are a rich blood red. Newly hatched
nym phs are very sm all, averaging ii^ch in length. T he female
and m ale nyinphs m olt tw o and fo u r tim es, respectively, and pass
th ro u g h three and five nym phal stages before reaching m aturity.
A dults of both sexes average n early %5 inch. T he females are
broadly oval and ai'e som ewhat flattened in all stages. I n th e first
stage and early p a r t of the second th e scales of both sexes are the
same shape, b u t from then on males become increasingly elongate.
F e rris {SJ^) has illu strated th is insect.
T h e fem ales of all stages, and th e males of th e first and second
stages, secrete a w hite, waxy substance, which hardens into a shell-
like covering fo r th e body. T he covering of the ad u lt fem ale is ^20
inch long and %5 inch wide, being ra th e r elongate-oval, owing to its
extension beyond th e posterior end of the body of the insect. T he cov
erin g of the second-stage male, u nder w hich all subsequent stages
develop, is I/05 inch long and Veo inch wide, being sm aller and propor
tionately n arrow er th a n th a t of the ad u lt female.
T he second m olted skin of th e fem ale ranges in color from yellow
or lig h t brow n to n early black. T his skin is embedded in the scale
covering, w here it is p lain ly visible. Masses of the scales on palm
tissue ap p ear g ray ish because of th e d ark coloration of th e molted
skins ag ain st th e w hite background of th e waxy coverings.
T he new ly hatched nym phs have Avell-developed eyes, legs, and
antennae. T hey craw l about fo r a w hile and then settle down, each
one in sertin g into th e host tissue a m outh tube which is m ore than
tw ice as long as th e body.
I n the second stage th e m ale has vestigial eyes, legs, and antennae,
b u t in th e th ir d and fo u rth stages his legs and antennae become
increasingly developed and w ing pads nuiy be present. H e feeds d u r
in g the second stage b u t n o t th ereafter, fo r there are no functional
m outh p a rts in th e last th ree stages of th is sex. W hen the m ature
m ale emerges from beneath the waxy cover, he is equipped w ith
eyes, legs, antennae, and, generally, a well-developed p a ir of wings,
b u t since he cannot take food, his life span is probably brief.
T h e fem ale rem ains fo r life in th e same place. I n th e la ter stages
she possesses no m ore th a n vestigial eyes, legs, and antennae. W hen
266 fem ales were exam ined the num ber of eggs beneath the coverings
ranged from 0 to 6, and the num ber of newly hatched nym phs from
0 to 4. T he largest m unber of eggs and nym phs beneath a single
in d iv id u al was 7.
O bservations on the life h isto ry of the p a rla to ria date scale, made
in M arch and A p ril, showed th a t th e egg period ranged from 7 to
11 days d u rin g the m iddle of M arch, and from 2 to 7 days at the end
of M arch and early in A p ril. I t was n o t learned how long th e newly
DATE PALM INSECTS IN THE UNITE® STATES 7
liiitoluHl nymph.s reinaiiuHl uiulor the covering of tlie inotlier, but

w ithin ‘24 hours a fte r h atch in g they craw led aw ay and l)egan to settle.
Durino- the m iddle of M arch nearly all nym phs settled w ithin days,
and some h ad com pletely covered themselves w ith shells w ithin 8
days a fte r hatching. BegiiHiing ^ larch 15 the nym phs required 27
days to progress from h atch in g to the first molt, and beginning M arch
21 they needed 21 days’.
A t various tim es in M arch several lots of newdy liatched nymi)hs
were removed from the host p la n t to see how long they would survive
w ithout food. Nymi)hs kept continuously in the shade and exposed
to outdoor a ir survived a m axinunn of 5 days, w hereas in hum id air,
in the shade, they lived a m axinunn of 7 days.
W herever found on the living tissue of i)alms, infestations were
observed to be in vigorous condition th ro u g h o u t the year. T here was
some reduction in activity d u rin g the w inter m onths; yet in th e cold
est p a rts of the yeai' m any newly hatched nym phs were observed
crawling over and settlin g on palm foliage.
FOOD PLANTS AND DISTRIBUTION
T he p arla to ria date scale has been found infesting th e date palm ,
th e C anary Isla n d palm {Phoenix canariensis H o rt. ex Chabaud)>,
the doum i)alm [Ilyphaene thehaica M a rt.), and the native C alifo rn ia
fa n palm (yi' aHMngtoniaflifera (L inden) W en d l.). I t h as been taken
from no other plan ts in th is country, b u t New'stead {49) has reported
it on jasm ine foliage, D rap er {31) on yellow^ jasm ine and periw inkle,
and H a ll {38) on a species of Latania^ a fan palm .
A ll infestations in the U n ited S tates have been traceable directly
to im ported date otTshoots. So fa r as is known, th is scale became
established in the U n ited S tates only in the Coachella and Im p erial
V alleys of C alifornia, in the Y um a and S alt R iver V alley D istricts
of A rizona, and n ear Laredo, Tex.
A ccording to Q uayle {55) th is insect occurs in A lgeria, A ustralia,
E g y p t, Ita lia n Som aliland, and In d ia.
DISSEMINATION
A side from the tran sp o rta tio n of portions of infested palm s, such
as offshoots, m ale blooms, and leaves used fo r religious purposes, the
m ost common means of dissem inating the p a rla to ria date scale ap
pears to be th e n a tu ra l spread of craw lers. T he developm ent of col
onies of scales beneath b ird s’ nests and around cicada egg punctures
points to th e probable role of birds and insects as carriers of th e
nym phs. W ind is believed to be an im p o rtan t facto r in effecting
sh o rt movements of the craw lers. M an’s activities in date plantings,
including pollinatin g , pru n in g , thin n in g , and picking, no doubt resu lt
in nym phs being carried on clothing and tools.
CONTROL
So fa r as is known, no n a tu ra l enemies of the p a rla to ria date scale

were introduced wdth it into th is country. A ccording to E ssig {32),
G lick {37), and Toum ey {06), lad y b ird beetles have been observecl
p reying upon the scale; however, th e ir activities wêre insufficient
8 CIRCULAR 8 4 6 , U . S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
to prevent th e increase of th e insect. A la d y b ird beetle, GMlocorus

cacti L., has been observed by th e senior au th o r feeding on th e scale
in the Im p e ria l V alley.
B oyden {21) has rep o rted in detail th e efforts, b ro u g h t to a con
clusion on Ju n e 30, 1936, th a t resulted in elim in atin g th e scale as a
facto r in A m erican d ate production. B riefly stated, th e methods
included quarantin e, inspection, rem oval of unw anted palm s, pruning
to reduce infested p a rts of trees followed by searing th e rem aining
surfaces w ith a gasoline torch, an d reinspections. A ccording to B ux
ton {22) the survival of palm s b urned in th e g reat fire a t S an F ra n
cisco in 1906 suggested th e flam ing method.
R ed D ate S cale
In festatio n s of th e red date scale {Phoenicococcus marlatti Cock
erell) probably have been observed by O ld W o rld d ate grow ers for
centuries. A p p aren tly , however, little specific in fo rm atio n on the
insect was collected u n til it was introduced into th e U n ited States
on offshoots from N o rth A frica in 1890. These w ere th e same offshoots
on w hich the p a rla to ria date scale was discovered (B oyden 21). C. L.
M a rla tt m ade some study of the red date scale a t th a t tim e, and
Cockerell {24), using m aterial from th e same source, described the
insect as a new genus and species in 1900. Since then, accounts of
the scale have appeared fro m tim e to tim e in A m erican and foreign
literatu re, includ in g publications by B orden {15), F e rris {36), M or
rison (47), and Stickney {62).
NATURE OF IN JUR Y
Now th a t the p a rla to ria date scale ap p are n tly has been eradicated,
the red date scale is th e only scale insect attack in g date palm s in the
com m ercial date-grow ing regions of th e U n ite d S tates. T h is scale
often com pletely covers large areas of th e w hite tissue, throughout
th e year. I ts abundance on th e protected Avhite tissue of leaf bases,
on fiber bands, and on fr u it stalks caused it a t first to be regarded as
a serious pest. I n tim e, however, some grow ers concluded th a t the
vigor and yield, even of heavily infested palm s, were not noticeably
affected by the insect. A F ed eral q u aran tin e th a t h ad been instituted
against the scale was eventually removed.
T he red date scale does n o t m ain tain itse lf on th e green foliage,
n or does it penetrate to any extent th e basal p a rts of th e closely
packed younger leaves. O n palm roots it is in to leran t of direct con
ta c t w ith the soil, and m ost of th e tig h tly packed basal p a rts of the
roots are not infested. T he insect congregates in larg e num bers on
the thick palm tissue; therefore, m ost of th e sap channels are not
affected by it.
Definite in ju ry from th e red date scale has been noted in some
im ported offshoots p lan ted in p ro p ag atin g sheds fo rm erly used as
date palm nurseries. These offshoots were sm all and u n th r if ty ; they
h ad shown little or no g row th over a long p e rio d ; and, w ith increasing
age, th e ir le af bases h ad loosened, so th a t masses of th e insects were
able to settle there. Because of heavy in festatio n th e leaf bases were
slender and practically girdled, and th e tissue h ad a brow nish, bruised
appearance. W here th e re was a pronounced d rooping of th e leaves,
DATE PALM INSECTS IN TH E UNITED STATES 9
tlie discolored tissue sometimes extended th ro u g h th e ir bases. The

abnorm al condition of the ott'shoots probably was due in p a r t to
causes other th a n th e scale attack, b u t th e scale undoubtedly intensified
th e dam age.
O n w ell-grow n palm s old masses of th e scale cause brow ning, b u t
yoiuig colonies cause little or no discoloration of th e tissue. B row ned
areas (fig. 3) m ay extend % Il'ich deep into infested surfaces.
Figure 3.— Part of a date palm leafstalk show ing groups of red date scales and
areas of browned tissue.
O n th e whole, th e degree of dam age still m ay be an open question.

I t is possible th a t th e scale contributes to d ry in g of fru it on the palm s,
to prem ature dyin g of older leaves th a t bear th e heaviest infestations
on th e ir bases, and to general u n th riftin ess of some palms.
T he fem ale of th e red d ate scale develops th ro u g h three stages
and the m ale th ro u g h five. A ll stages are wingless, th is condition in
879506 — 50 -
the m ale being an exception to the I’ule among scale insects. Only
in the first stage of both sexes and in the adult m ale stage are
eyes, antennae, and well-developed legs present, and only in these
stages are the scales able to craw l. The first and second stages of both
sexes and th e ad u lt females possess an external m outh tube. Albino
form s sometimes occur in these stages.
W ax is produced by the first two stages of both sexes and by the
ad u lt females. W ax form s in curly, shining, w hite stran d s th a t make
a fluffy, cottony mass about th e body, being densest in the second-
stage male, b u t sufficiently ab u n d an t in all stages to cover the body
com pletely. On specimens th a t have settled behind th e fiber, the waxy
covering m ay become m ore or less m atted down and cream-colored.
AVTaen leaf bases and fiber bands are removed to expose infested tissue,
the w ax is often ])ulled aw ay and t'he bodies of th e insects are revealed
(fig. 3).
R ed date scale eggs are %o inch long, oval, smooth, and pinkish
w ith a pearly lustre. T he frag ile egg shells are often found in masses
beneath the m other scales.
F irst-stag e nym phs, w hich are alike in both sexes, are elongate-
oval, and have black eyes and two long, h airlik e appendages at the
re a r end. W hen new ly hatched they are flattened, pale pink, and
Yso inc'h long. S h o rtly a fte r h atch in g th e p in k pigm ent, w hich gives
the insect its name, increases in intensity.
In d iv id u als of the two la ter fem ale stages and of the second-stage
m ale become sucking bags, the antennae and legs being reduced to
m ere knobs. In these stages the body color becomes a deeper pink
th a n in the first stage. W hen egg lay in g begins, th e body of the
ad u lt fem ale becomes d ark red, and a fte r reproduction ceases, her
d ry in g body becomes h a rd and leathery.
T he body of th e male in th e th ird , fo u rth (p u p a l), and adult stages
is deep pink. T h e antennae and legs are short, stout, conical projec
tions in the th ird -stag e male, and longer and less conical in the fourth
stage. T he ad u lt male h as black eyes and a spinelike projection at
th e re a r end.
T h ro u g h o u t th e y ear th e red date scale is p resent in all stages of
developm ent on th e w hite tissue behind th e fiber. I n th e late spring
and th ro u g h the sum m er, new ly hatched nym phs are there in large
num bers, w hich g rad u ally lessen d u rin g th e fall and early winter.
T he population is at a m inim um in Januarj^, b u t increases p ro
gressively late in w inter and early in spring.
On other portions of date palm s the p opulation is largest late in
sp rin g and early in summer. A t th a t tim e th e issuing leaves com
m only become infested, and the ra p id developm ent of th e new leaves
exposes m any scales. As the sum m er advances, the h eat in such
exposed locations is unfavorable to th e ir survival, and few er m igrants
come up and settle outside th e protection of th e fiber. Sunnner popu
lations outside the fiber are low, but increase fo r a sh o rt period late in
fall.
Developm ent of th e red date scale was recorded in an insectary for
n early a year. W h ite tissue an d green foliage were used as hosts.
T here was a m inim um of fo u r generations. D evelopm ent was greatly
reta rd ed d u rin g th e colder p a r t of th e year, increased d u rin g the
s'prini)', and was at a inaxinuuii duving late si)i'iii<>' and sununer. T he

leng'tlis of the various stages and of the life cycle of the fem ale are
given in table 1 .
TA15LE 1 .— lAfe cycle rccordx of female, red date scales
A pproxim ate period as—
D ate nym phal pro Length

D a te nym phs Adult fe
duction of next of life
settled First- Second- male to
stage generation began cycle
stage beginning
nym phs fem ales of nymphal
production
1922 1923
Days Days Days Days
N o v . 18_________ 82 27 56 M ay 2 165
192S
M av 2 15 15 31 July 2 - -- 61
Julv 5 _ _ 12 12 37 Sept. 4 61
Sept. 1 11 17 38 N ov. 6 66
O th er life cycles, which began on December 14, J a n u a ry 23, and

A p ril 4, covered 152, 107, and 55 days. T he la st was th e shortest
period recorded, and it occui’red d u rin g the sp rin g m igration when
activity on the pahiis was high.
T he m ale and fem ale insects pass th ro u g h the first m olt and reach
the ad u lt stage in about the same time. T he male, however, develops
th ro u g h its second, tliircl, and fo u rth stages w hile th e fem ale is in
the second stage.
T he red date scale produces both eggs and liv in g young. Some
eggs hatch w ith in th e body of the m other, some begin to h atch im
m ediately a fte r they are laid, and others h atch in an hour or more
a fte r deposition.
T he foIloAving d ata were obtained from 74 females living behind
the fiber of date palm s, from early M ay u n til the end of Ju ly . These
fem ales produced an average of 67 eggs, ran g in g up to 5 a day.
Seven of the females laid an average of 108 eggs. T he length of the
egg-producing period was from 33 to 85 days. D u rin g tlie same
period, records from two lots of females reared on leaves came w ith in
the ranges previously mentioned.
On various occasions females th a t had been k ep t isolated from
males did not develop eggs, an indication th a t I'eproduction w ithout
fertilizatioii is lacking in th is species.
F rom 28 lots of the red date scale bred from the m iddle of F eb ru ary
u n til th e end of Ju ly , counts of th e individuals of each sex produced
were 33 females and 31 males in February' and M arch, 102 females
and 78 males in A p ril and May, and 33 females and 24 males in
J u n e and Jid y .
T he m axim um len g th of life of a fertilized fem ale liv in g on a

sm all palm in an insectary was a little over 8 m onths, fro m Novem
ber 22 to J u ly 26. C raw lers were being produced by th is in d iv id u al
u p to the end of th e period. Several v irg in fem ales lived 7 to 8
m onths d u rin g about the same period, and one lived alm ost 9 months.
T he longevity of ad u lt males was n o t exactly determ ined. D u rin g
the sum m er tw o lots o f m ales were observed. One was k ep t under
outdoor-air conditions an d th e oth er was held in a ir satu rated w ith
m oisture. A ll of both lots were dead a fte r 48 hours.
HABITS
T he h atch in g process requires 9 to 35 m inutes. A fte r breaking

aAvay from th e eggshell, th e nym phs rem ain beneath th e body of
the m other from 2 o r 3 hours to p erh ap s 1 day. W h en observations
were m ade on th e distance nym phs craw l, i t was found th a t one
nym ph moved 7 feet over a sm ooth surface in about 2 hours a t tem
p eratu res ran g in g from 72° F . a t th e begin n in g to 66° a t th e end
of th e period.
Newly hatched nym phs seek protected places in w hich to settle
down. U pon finding a suitable location, a n ym ph g rad u ally works
its m outh tube nearly to its fu ll len g th into th e host tissue. O n a
palm le af p in n a th e operation has been observed to take from 1 to
m ore th a n 3 hours, d u rin g th e m iddle o f A p ril. M ost of th e nym phs
establish themselves w ith in 24 hours a fte r leaving th e m other scale.
T he red date scale occurs chiefly on p la n ts of th e palm genus

Phoenix^ b u t grow s also on Calamus^ Daemonorofs, and Pandanus
(Lejêsme Jfl). I n southern C alifo rn ia th e location and h isto ry of
infested trees of Phoenix canariensis and P. reclinata Jacq. indicated
th a t th e insect h a d sp read to them from infested d ate palm s nearby.
I n th e U n ited S tates th e red date scale is generally d istrib u ted in
the Coachella, Im p erial, and S a lt K iver V alleys, and in th e Y um a dis
tric t in A rizona. I t has been found locally a t various points along the
Colorado R iver from Needles, Calif., to Y um a, A r iz .; n ear W h ittier
and E l Cajon, C a lif.; in th e vicinity of Aztec, A r iz .; and in and near
Laredo, Tex.
CHARACTER OF INFESTATION
L ea f bases and fiber b ands afford excellent protection to red date

scales, w hich mass on any accessible w hite tissue behind th e fiber (fig.
3). R egardless of w hether a tree belongs to a so-called th in , sem itight,
o r tight-fibered variety , th ere are alw ays seven fiber bands overlying
each le af base in th e region w here th e heaviest in festatio n s of red date
scales are found.
T he g reatest scale populations on good-sized trees occur about m id
w ay u p th e tru n k . O n a 16-year-old H alaw i d ate palm w ith term inal
leaves risin g 9 feet from th e ground, th e heaviest in festatio n s extended
from 5 feet above th e ground (w here th e bases of th e oldest living
fro n d s w ere located) to w ith in 2% feet of th e term in al leaves (in the
vicinity of the f r u it stalks of th e preceding season). T hus, th e area
of g reatest abundance was in a b an d about 1 % feet wide around th e

tree. O w ing to th e tig h tn ess of th e fiber, tliis b an d of scales reached
only to w ith in II/2 inches of th e attach m en t of th e leaf to th e tru n k
of the tree, and its u p p er m arg in was about 2 inches below th e top
of th e fiber.
Above the area of greatest in festatio n on such a tree th e w hite tissue
increases in p ro p o rtio n an d in tig h tn ess and th e scale population de
creases in num bers and in th e extent of its p en etratio n dow nw ard.
Below th e zone w here in festatio n is heaviest, leaf bases and bands be
come in(‘,reasingly loose and th e w hite tissue decreases in am ount.
T h is condition perm its an easier en try fo r th e insect, b u t provides less
and less tissue fo r feeding. A lth o u g h th e po p u latio n decreases, the
scale penetrates low er down on th e tissue u n til n ear th e g round it
reaches th e p o in t w here th e leaf bases and bands connect w ith th e tru n k
of the tree and m ay even extend over onto th e w hite tissue of th e tru n k .
U sually th e leaf bases an d bands nearest th e g round are so decayed
th a t they provide few or no suitable areas on w hich th e insect may
feed.
New f ru it stalks become heavily infested w ith in 2 or 3 m onths,
m ore quickly th a n th e leaf bases and bands in th e im m ediate vicinity.
T he scales mass on f r u it stalks as they do on leaf bases, and frequently
com pletely cover th e tissue w ith in th e infested area.
O nly a sm all percentage of the scales on a palm are ever found o u t
side th e fiber, and of th is percentage the larg est num bers occur on the
youngest leaves, Avhere they are m ost ab u n d an t on th e inner surfaces
o f th e m idribs, along th e edges of th e unexpanded pinnae, and between
th e closely overlapping surfaces of th e pinnae. I n th e Coachella
Valley, the scales are common on these p a rts d u rin g th e sp rin g and
early sum m er only, b u t to w ard the C alifo rn ia coast they frequently
are fo und th ere in larg e num bers th ro u g h o u t th e year.
R ed date scale m ig ran ts also settle outside the fiber in th e depressions
a t th e bases o f new f r u it threads, in th e flower cups of new inflor
escences, and beneath sm all scaly secretions of leaf bases. These places
offer poor protection, especially d u rin g the w arm er tim e of th e year,
and th e insects seldom survive in them longer th a n th ro u g h th e first
stage. T hey settle read ily in cracks, breaks, or cuts in exposed palm
tissue; between closely grouped pinnae of very slowly grow ing, de
form ed leaves commonly issuing from th e tru n k s of p a lm s; and in th e
cuplike bases of pinnae. T he protection in these la st locations is
usually sufficient to p erm it m ost of th e insects to complete th e ir life
cycles a t all tim es except d u rin g th e ho ttest p a r t of the summer. H ow
ever, near th e C alifo rn ia coast, as in E l C ajon V alley, a large percent
age of live scales in all stages has been observed in A u g u st a t th e bases
o f pinnae and on th e basal surfaces of fru its. I n d rie r regions no
infested fru its have been seen a t any time.
Since th e scales ten d to produce a broAvn discoloration on th e p arts
attacked, one usually can detect an infested tree by glancing a t th e
bases of th e pinnae. A s m any as 136 scales in all stages have been
taken from one p in n a cup.
B oth aerial an d un d erg ro u n d roots are attacked. T he scales settle
between closely grouped roots n ear th e palm tru n k . Scale m o rtality
is heavy on aerial roots, because they tend to die back an d because
th e ir position subjects the insects to too m uch exposure.
A ltliougli the red date scale does not occur on surfaces in direct
contact w ith soil, th e insect m ay be found a foot or m ore beneath the
soil surface, between closely bunched roots. T he base of palm s
p lan ted deeply in a lig h t soil m ay be as m uch as 3 feet below the
sui'face, and m any live scales have been observed on th e basal p arts
of the 1‘oots of such palm s several years a fte r p lan tin g . On th e other
hand, scale infestatio n s on the basal p a rts of the roots of palm s planted
as deeply in adobe soil have been observed to die w ith in 2 years.
Figure 4.— M ethod of dem onstrating red date scale infestation. A , D ate palm
trunk with fiber intact; B, flexible hinged blade inserted to clasp the fiber and
serve as a guide for cutting (one leaf-base stub has been sawed off); C, fiber cut
through and pulled apart to expose the fluflfy, w hite w ax produced by recent
infestation; D , cut through fiber repaired with tree-wound cement, and sawed-off
leaf base stub replaced by use o f finish nails.
T he senior au th o r was unable to m ake a sufficiently extensive survey

to determ ine j)ossible ditfei'ences in th e susce])tibility of varieties of
date ])ahns to the red date scale, because inspection involved cutting
into and perm anently disfiguring the trunk.®
“An inspection m ethod that avoids disflgui-inj>- the i)aliiis has since been de
veloped by one of the authors (Sin im oiis). T his m ethod con sists in saw in g off
a lea fstalk stnl), and m aking a clean vertical cut throngh the fiber behind it,
in fron t of tlie le a f base to be exam ined. The fiber is then pulled apart to
reveal the le a f base. A fter inspection tlie fiber is sealed back in place w ith
tree-womirt cem ent. The sawed-olT stub is replaced by driving lialsh n a ils part
w ay into the saw ed surfiice of the portion attached to tlie palm and driving the
severed part onto the protriiding nails. The operation is illu stra ted in figure 4.
DISSEMINATION
T h e red date scale spi'eads by the same means as those outlined

fo r the p a rla to ria date scale. S p read of th e red date scale is slow.
A s an exam ple, in a p la n tin g set out in stan d ard form , about 27 feet
a p a rt, th ere ^Yere orig in ally 3 infested trees in one corner of the block.
A fte r 14 years no scales Avere found on any trees beyond th e seventh
row from the o palm s. In a. group of 27 trees p lan ted about 60 feet
fro m 4 old infested ones, only 4 trees were found to be infested 6
years later. D u rin g 24 years all of a group of 183 trees grow ing near
a nucleus of 11 infested trees became infested. T he neai-est origuially
clean palm was 190 feet from the source of spread.
T he secretive h abits of th e insect and its sensitivity to exposure
]:>robably account fo r its unusuallj'- slow disj)ersion.
NATURAL ENEMIES
No in te rn a l parasites and b u t few p red ato rs of the red date scale

are know n. Cyhocephalus californicus Horn, a sm all, black beetle of
the fam ily N itidulidae, has been observed feeding on th e insect on
the term in al leaves above th e fiber. A m ite belonging to the fam ily
E upodidae occurs commonly on the u pper p a rts of leaf bases, w here
it feeds on masses of th e red date scale. A ll stages of th is m ite, in
cluding th e egg, are b rillia n t orange. A scattering of undeterm ined
orange-colored fly m aggots is not uncommon in th e m idst of scale
colonies on the u p p er 5arts of leaf bases behind the fiber, but they
have not been observed actually feeding on the scale. Borden {16)
found sim ilar m aggots in th e m idst of scale masses, and he observed a
beetle of the genus LaemopMoeus (probably truncatus Casey) feeding
on the scale.
REMEDIAL MEASURES
S everal treatm en ts fo r control of th e red date scale have been tried,

b ut fo r one reason or another have not been recommended. A type
o f kerosene em ulsion was sprayed on th e tru n k s, b u t was u n satis
facto ry because it failed to reach the scales in the tig h t areas behind
the fiber. OtTshoots were im m ersed in a sim ilar emulsion, both in
vacuum and a t atm ospheric pressure. I n other tests, fish-oil soap and
40-percent nicotine sulfate were added to the em ulsion and offshoots
w ere im m ersed in it under vacuum. A lthough it was possible to kill
all th e scales w ith some of th e treatm ents, the recovery of th e p lants
w’as retarded. Offshoots were fum igated in vacuum w ith h y d ro
cyanic acid gas, b u t treatm ents th a t did not cause tissue in ju ry failed
to effect a satisfacto ry kill.
Good results wêre obtained by exposing offshoots to m oist h eat
and to h o t w ater. These treatm ents killed all living scales and p er
m itted satisfacto ry recovery of th e offshoots. I t w’as found th a t
subjecting offshoots to 120° F . in an insulated room fo r 65 hours,
w ithout attem p tin g to regulate th e hum idity, was the best m ethod of
control.
D ate M ite
T h e date m ite feeds on the foliage and fru its of date palm s and on
grasses. T his m ite was o riginally described in 1914 by B anks (5) as
16 ClRCtTLAR 8 4 6 , tJ. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICtlLTTJRE
Tetranychus sim flex fro m date palm s a t E l C entro, C alif. I n 1922

E w in g {33) described a m ite found in festin g d ate fru its in th e Coa
chella V alley and nam ed it Paratetranychus heteronychus. M cG regor
( 44 ) has shown th a t these species are identical, and th a t th e scientific
]iame should be Paratetranychus sim fle x (B an k s). A p p aren tly this
is the only m ite attack in g date palm s in th e C oachella and Im p erial
Valleys. Econom ic aspects of th e d ate m ite have been discussed by
S tickney {61) a n d E s s ig {32).
T he study of th e d ate m ite was first begun d u rin g th e summer of
1921. A t th a t tim e th e sup erin ten d en t of th e U n ited S tates D ate
G arden a t In d io h ad been observing th is m ite in festin g dates in the
Coachella V alley fo r 10 years or more. I t is n o t clear w hether this
pest was introduced. M cG regor concluded th a t it is distinct from
the O ld W o rld date m ite, w hich he described as Paratetranychus
afrasiaticus.
NATURE OF IN JUR Y
T he d ate m ite rasps th e surface of th e host tissue, destroying the

original pigm ent. T he rasped surface becomes g ray ish w hite or pale
yellow, and heavily infested date fru its tu rn brow n. A heavy deposit
of fine w ebbing (fig. 5) is spun over m uch of th e area fed upon. The
m ites w ork extensively beneath th e w ebbing, b u t as colonies develop
some of the m ites expose themselves beyond th e m argins of the
webbing.
I n all nym phal stages th e d ate m ite is ro b u st in form , pale yellow

o r yellow ish w h ite; sometimes yellow, pale orange, or greenish.
A long the sides of th e body are irre g u la r spots o f th e same color
as th e body, b u t of a deeper shade. Sometimes these spots are in
d istinct o r alssent. T he an terio r m arg in of th e body an d th e forw ard
appendages ai’e p aler th a n th e body proper. T h e eyes are b rig h t red.
T he adults, especially th e females, âow stronger coloration th a n do
the nym phs.
T he body of th e ad u lt fem ale (fig. 6 ) is ovate and about %5 inch
long. A d u lt males are b lu n tly su b tria n g u lar an d sm aller, being %oo
inch long. Im m atu re m ites resemble ad u lt females, except th a t newly
hatched ones, called larvae, have six legs instead of eight. These
larvae are only ii^ch long. A fte r m o ltin g they become 8-legged
nym phs. T h e egg is p early w hite, alm ost tra n sp a re n t when deposited,
spherical, and I/200 in diam eter.
T he date m ite is p resen t in all stages of developm ent throughout
the year. D u rin g th e w in ter its activ ity is m uch reduced, and its
num bers decrease as th e cold season advances. W ith th e advent of
w arm w eather it begins to increase in activ ity and in num bers, and
m aintains a h ig h ra te of activ ity th ro u g h o u t th e w arm er p a r t of the
year. O n date fru its th e population peak is reached d u rin g th e la tter
p a rt of J u ly or early in A ugust. A lth o u g h th e m ites d isap p ear from
rip en in g dates, tliey are able to m ain tain them selves in fu ll force on
green fru its of late varieties o r on dates developing off season.
In fe sta tio n usually appears on dates about th e first of Ju n e, when
the fr u it is the size of buckshot. D epending upon th e earliness of the
DATE PALM INSE'CTS IN THE UNITED STATES 17
Figure 5.— Dates infested w ith the date mite, and covered by the silk w ebbing
spun during heavy infestations.
season, infestation s begin from m id -A p ril to as late as th e first of

J u ly . W hen th e m ites attack th e fru it, sm all colonies are irreg u larly
distributed in in d iv id u al bunches scattered over th e palms.
D u rin g the w in ter th e m ites are found on th e foliage of th e date
palm , frequently on p a rtia lly expanded pinnae. I n th e p innae they
are well protected an d produce little webbing. Some of th e m ites
pass the w in ter on sm all d ate seedlings and on grasses.
T he developm ent o f Paratetranyohus simplex was studied fo r the
m ost p a r t by enclosing, in tra n sp a re n t covers of glass or celluloid,
dates grow ing on com mercial palm s. T he glass covers consisted of
cylinders placed over f r u it th read s an d closed a t both ends w ith ab
sorbent cotton o r silk cloth. T he celluloid covers were cone-shaped,
879506— 50 ------------ 3
18 CIRCULAR 8 4 6 , U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE
Figure 6.— D ate mite, adult female. From M cGregor (44).
w ith the apex fastened around f r u it th re a d s and th e larg e end left

open. In fo rm atio n about developm ent of th e m ites on foliage was
obtained by placin g glass cylinders over p a rts of sm all potted date
palm s in an insectary. T he d a ta obtained in th is experim ent are
shown in table 2.
T able 2.— Length of egg period and life cycle of the date mite
D a te of egg deposition
Egg Life cycle
period
Initial Follow ing generation
{Days) {Days)
June 23 to Sept. 5 July 3 to Sept. 15 3 or 4 9 or 10
Sept 15____________________ Sept. 26- 4 11
Oct. 8 1 6
Oct. 14 N ov. 3 ___________________ 7 20
Oct. 21_ - . 10
Oct. 31» _ _ 12
N ov. 2 L - - - Jan. 19 13 78
N o v . 11 15
D ec. 28 27
Jan. 16 __ __ __ - _ Mar. 5- __ __ - - 25 48
Jan. 19 1 23
Feb. 8 21
Mar. 8 11
Mar. 14 9
Apr. 6 Apr. 23 17
Apr. 18 to M ay 4 M ay 1 to 17 6 13
M ay 11 to 25- M ay 23 to June 6 4 or 5 11 or 12
1 D a ta from date m ites bred on foliage. Other records are from m ites bred on
growing dates.
T h e records presented in tab le 2 indicate th a t life cycles are re

peated m ost freq u en tly A v h e n th e m ite is doing its w orst dam age,
from th e la tte r h a lf of Ju n e u n til th e m iddle of Septem ber. T he inax-
im um num ber of generations is about as follow s; Ju n e 23 to S eptem
ber 15, 8 o r 9 ; Septem ber 15 to 26, 1 ; O ctober 14 to M arch 5, 3; A p ril
6 to 23, 1; A p ril 23 to Ju n e 23, 5. T h ere are about 20 generations a
year.
One h u n d red seventy-three fem ale mites, bred on dates u nder cellu
loid cones between th e la tte r p ai't of A p ril and th e m iddle of Ju n e,
la id 2,388 egg’s, and averaged 11 eggs each. E g g production lasted
from 2 or 3 days to 15 or 16 days. T he nm nber of eggs la id daily
p er fem ale was irreg u lar, ra n g in g up to 3.
Fem ales died soon a fte r egg production ceased. D u rin g th e period
from late A p ril to m id -Ju n e th e len g th of life varied from 2 to 4
weeks. A bout one-half of th e life span preceded egg production;
the other h a lf was spent in p ro d u cin g eggs. T he males lived several
days longer th a n th e females.
O f 253 individuals reared d u rin g A p ril, M ay, and June, 64 percent
were females. O f another group of 385 mites, reared between A ugust
12 and Septem ber 19, 52 percent were females.
HABITS
T he eggs of the date m ite are scattered beneath and in th e webbing,

or sometimes a p a rt from th e w ebbing in exposed locations. They
adhere to the surface on w hich they rest and are not easily detachecl.
Jêwly hatched larvae are active and begin feeding im m ediately.
P receding each m olt th e nym phs pass th ro u g h a quiescent period in
protected places.
B oth nym phs and adults are easily disturbed, and when tem p era
tu res are h ig h they craw l aw ay rap id ly . D isturbance often causes
them to float off into the air attached to a th rea d of silk. They are
able to cling to bare h ost tissue th ro u g h a ra th e r stro n g wind.
T his m ite is to leran t of sunshine. O bservations made on two con
secutive w indless days, w hen th e relative h u m id ity was about 11
percent, showed th a t m ites resting on dates exposed to th e sun moved
into the shade as soon as the a ir tem perature in the sun reached 115°
F . A t 114° they showed less inclination to move away, and a t 113°
they did not attem p t to escape direct sunlight. O ther records showed
th a t w hen the a ir tem p eratu re was 115°. the surface tem p eratu re of
dates in th e sun was a degree or so hig h er and in th e shade 4 or 5
degrees lower.
G roups of 15 m ites in various stages o f developm ent died afte r
the follow ing exposures in d ry a i r : 147 m inutes a t 116° F ., 49 m inutes
a t 122 °, 29 m inutes a t 129°, and 9 m inutes a t 136°. T he m ites were
wuthout f o o i R elative h u m id ity was 15 to 17 percent. W hen ex
posed to sim ilar tem peratures in a ir satu rated Avith m oisture the
m ites were som ew hat less resistant.
W hen deprived of food th e m ites do not live long, even in th e shade.
F o r exam ple, in A ugust, 87 percent of 160 adults of both sexes, k ep t
in th e shade, succumbed w ith in 24 hours when the mean m axim um and
m inim um tem peratures were 108° an d 83° F . ; all died w ith in 46
hours. I n December, however, when th e mean m axim um and m in i
m um tem peratures w ere 68° an d 45°, 56 percent o f 25 m ites in both

im m ature and ad u lt stages, confined in a shaded location, died d u rin g
th e first 6 days, and none were alive a fte r 11 days.
D ate m ites are able to bu ild u p larg e populations only on th e date
fi'uit, w here concentrations are m uch g reater th a n on grasses. A l
though th e m ites read ily attack dates from th e tim e of th e ir earliest
form ation u n til they begin to change color as th e rip en in g process
sets in, they w ill n o t in fest m atu re fru its.
Colonies of th e date m ite usually begin to form between tw o date
fru its o r between th e base of a date and th e th re a d to w hich it is
attached. A s th e colonies grow , th e infested areas spread, and are
likely to cover th e en tire f r u it surface. W hole bunches of fr u it may
become enshrouded w ith webbing.
D ates th a t are only lig h tly infested, as is th e case w hen th e mites
are destroyed by early treatm en t, rip en norm ally, an d although the
in ju red surfaces rem ain discolored, th e dam age does n o t extend be
neath the skin of th e fru it. Such dates are edible, b u t they cannot
be ra te d as first-class fru it. A s in festatio n increases, th e fr u it skin
becomes roughened an d h ard , and in ju ry extends to th e tissue beneath
the surface. A sm all colony m ay increase so ra p id ly th a t serious
dam age results w ith in 2 or 3 weeks.
M ite-dam aged surfaces are likely to crack a fte r a ra in or if exposed
too m uch to th e sun. H eavy deposits of d ust collect in th e webbing.
Severely infested dates do n o t develop pro p erly , ow ing n o t only to the
d irect dam age caused by th e feeding o f th e m ites, b u t probably also
to the abnorm al conditions induced by th e sheets of dusty webbing.
Tlie date m ite assumes added significance because th e f r u it of the

im p o rtan t D eglet N oor v ariety is very susceptible to th e attack of this
mite. O n th e other hand, some varieties are n early free from damage.
T he date m ite has also been identified as in festin g th e following
grasses. (M ost of th e records are from In d io , C alif.) :
In term ed ia te Avheatgrass {Agropyron intermedium (H ost)
B eauv.).
G ian t reed {Arundo donax Tj .).
Sixweeks g ram a {Bouteloua barbata'L&g.).
F ield san d b u r {Cenchrus paucijioras B en th .).
F e a th e r fingergrass {Ghloris virgata S w artz.).
B erm uda grass [Gynodon dactylon (L .) P ers.).
H a iry crabgrass {Digitaria sanguinalis (L .) Scop.).
Jungle-rice {Echinochloa colonum (L .) L in k .).
S tin k g rass (Eragrostis cilianensis (A ll.) L in k .).
R yegrass {Lolium sp .).
G reen bristlegrass {Setaria viridis (L .) B eauv.).
S and dropseed {Sporobolus cryptandrus (T o rr.) A. G ray ).
T he m ites in fest both sides o f th e g rass blades a t th e base and often
cause them to tu r n pale and to d ry out. T h e p lants, however, do not
die, since sm all areas are attacked an d th e ro o t stocks are n o t reached.
A d d itio n al records of date m ite occurrence, m ade by M cG regor and
received from him in corresjôndence, are as follow s: field corn at
P hoenix, A i-iz.; C an ary Isla n d palm a t In d io , Im p erial, an d E l Cajon,

C a lif.; unnam ed grasses a t B angs and R icliland, T e x a s; an d sugarcane
in F lo rid a .
T h e date m ite is generally d istrib u ted in th e fo u r chief date-grow ing
regions. H eavy in festatio n s develop on date f n u ts in th e Coachella,
Im p erial, and Y um a V alleys, b u t no severe in festatio n s have been ob
served in th e S a lt R iv er V alley.
A n o th er m ite, sim ilar in stru ctu re to th e date m ite, has been found
on grasses b u t n o t on d ate palm s, even th o u g h th e infested grasses
m ay be n ear th e palm s. M cG regor nam ed th is species Para-
tetranychiis stichneyi an d called it th e grass mite.
P a rtic u la r atten tio n has been given to th e d istrib u tio n o f th e date
m ite on B erm uda grass, th e m ost connnon grass in th e Southw est.
T his m ite has been identified on th is grass a t w ell-separated points in
th e Coachella, Im p erial, and S a lt R iver V alleys. I t also has been
found on th is host in such diverse localities in CaH fornia as Lakeside
and V ista (both near th e southern co ast), W arn e r S p rin g s (a t an ele
vation of m ore th a n 3,000 feet in th e San Jacin to M o u ntains), B ly th e;
in the C olorado R iv er low lands east of B ly th e; Los Banos, in th e San
Jo aq u in V alley ; C orning, in th e Sacram ento V alley ; and in th e A r i
zona desert a t the isolated p o ints of Salome, W en den (about 50 miles
w est of W ickenburg ), and Bella Lom a (about 27 miles east of G ila
B end). O th er A rizona locations are Tem pe and Tucson. These rec
ords indicate w idespread occurrence of th e date m ite in th e Southw est.
NATURAL ENEMIES
A dults and nym phs of th e six-spotted th rip s {Scolothrifs sexmac-

ulatus (P e rg a n d e )) feed on th e date mite. T his common insect,
probably th e m ost im p o rtan t p red ato r of th e m ite, is a small, lig h t-
brow n th rip s w ith th ree d ark er brow n spots on each forew ing. A
m inute, black la d y b ird beetle of th e genus Stethorus and a b rig h t-
orange m ite belonging to th e fam ily E uj)odidae have been noted feed
in g on th e d ate m ite. These enemies are n o t effective in preventing
dam aging build-up of m ite populations.
REMEDIAL MEASURES
T ests w ith sprays of colloidal su lfu r, lim e-sulfur, and oil emulsions,
and w ith sulfur-nicotine and su lfu r dusts showed th a t th e dusts were
easier to ap p ly th a n th e sprays and were fu lly as effective. D usts
w ere m ore readily rem oved fro m th e fr u it th a n were th e residues
from the sprays containing sulfur.
D ates th a t were in good condition and som ewhat protected by foliage
d id not show b u rn in g from su lfu r dust. B row n discoloration some
tim es resulted, however, when the dust was applied to u n th rifty or
m ite-scarred fru it th a t was exposed to d irect sunshine d u rin g u n usu
ally hot w eather.
Good results were obtained by tre a tin g date bunches w ith a lig h t
coating of fine su lfu r, w ith tho ro u g h coverage, as soon as colonies of
date m ites appeared. Tim e of ap p lication varied from th e first of
M ay to the m iddle of Ju n e. B oth adults and im m ature stages sue-
cum bed read ily to su lfu r dust. T h e eggs ap p eared to be unaffected,

b u t larv ae h atch in g fro m dusted eggs were killed.
B liss and L in d g ren (7^) foTind th a t applications of a su lfu r dust
containing 3.41 percent of ferric dim ethyl dithiocarbam ate, p u t on
p rim arily fo r disease control, caused in festatio n s of th e date m ite to
disappear.
D atebug
T he datebug {Asarcojms palmarum H o rv .) (fig. 7 ), was described

as a new genus and species in 1921 by H o rv a th (jfi ) . A m erican lit
eratu re includes b rief m ention of it by E ssig {32), N ixon {61), and
Stickney {61). I t is undoubtedly an in troduced species, b u t the time
of its establishm ent in date p lan tin g s in th e SoutliAvest is n o t known.
The datebug was first noticed in 1922, and since th a t y ear it has been
Figure 7.— Datebugs: A , Nym ph; B, adult.
occasionally rep o rted as causing serious dam age to date palm s. The
insect is a m em ber of th e fam ily F u lg o rid ae, th e lanternflies, which
includes few m em bers th a t have any economic im portance. Some
of th e closer insect relatives of th e lanternflies are th e cicadas, tree-
hoppers, spittlebugs, and leafhoppers.
NATURE OF IN JUR Y
T he datebug concentrates on the w hite tissue behind th e fiber, be

tw een iinexpanded p a rts of term in al leaves, an d w ith in th e spathes
on th e w hite tissue of th e cu rren t season’s fr u it stalks (fig. 8 ). In
these places it is protected and is not read ily observed. Few datebugs
are found elsewhere on date palm s. Those th a t in fest th e w hite tissue
behind the fiber do n o t p en etrate so deeply as do th e scale insects.
W here the datebug feeds, th e host tissue tu rn s brow n and th e affected
p a rts take on a bruised appearance. T he in ju red places are typically
quite vai'iable in size and outline. T hey seldom cover an extensive
area o f host tissue, chiefly because th e insect moves aro u n d freely and
usually does not occur in larg e masses. H ow ever, as m any as 330
datebugs in all stages have been collected from th e laasal p a rts of the
Figure 8.— Datebugs on new grow th of date palm.
term inal leaves of an offshoot w eighing only 2 pounds. H ealth y

palm s are so little affected by datebug in festatio n th a t dam age is
seldom obvious, larg ely ow ing to th e ra p id production of new te rm i
n al leaves and to th e compactness of the p a rts w here th e datebug
prefers to congregate. Sm all, weak palm s may be so in ju red th a t th e
24 CIRCULAR 8 4 6, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE
term in al leaves droop because of heavy in festatio n on th e ir slender,

loosely grow ing bases.
T lie datebug secretes a clear, sticky, sweet substance in th e form
of droplets w hich freq u en tly ru n together, p ro ducing a smeared
appearance. O n le af bases these exudations, w hich collect m uch dust
and d irt, are exposed by th e g ro w th of the leaves.
DESCRIPTION
T h e oval, flattened datebug nym phs, w hich h atch from pearly

w hite eggs, are %3 inch long by iî^h wide. M atu re female
nym phs are % inch long by 145 inch wide. I n all stages nym phs
are a t first pale yellow o r lig h t brow n, each succeeding stage deepen
ing in color. Those of th e la st n y m phal stage are d a rk brown. The
lines between the body segm ents of nym phs of all in stars are pinkish
o r reddish, the color laeing m ost pronounced on th e back and on the
sides of the abdomen.
T he ad u lt fem ale of th e datebug is elongate-oval, inch long by
14? inch wide, of various shades of brow n w ith a broad, light-brow n
band extending th e len g th of the back, and d a rk e r brow n m arkings
along the sides of th e b an d and on th e u nder surface of th e body.
There is a dorsal hum p on th e abdomen. T h e ad u lt m ale is elongate-
oval, slig h tly sm aller th a n th e fem ale, the brow n of th e body being
broken into lig h t and d ark areas on all surfaces. T h ere are white
m arkings on the back, on the sides of th e body, and on th e under
surface of the abdomen.
A ll stages of both sexes of th e datebug have red eyes. L ong hind
legs equip them fo r jum ping. T hey are w ith o u t w ings, b u t th e adults
of both sexes possess sh o rt pale-brow n w ing pads. B o th sexes pass
tlirough five stages before becom ing adult.
LIFE HISTORY AND HABITS
T he datebug is active in all stages th ro u g h o u t th e year. E ggs are

deposited d u rin g th e coldest as Avell as th e h o ttest m onths. A lthough
activity is appreciably reduced in w in ter, th e population does not
decline d u rin g th a t season.
T he datebugs are ra tlie r phlegm atic. T h e fem ales can be gently
touched w ithout exciting them , b u t such trea tm e n t causes ad u lt males
to craw l aw ay rapidly- In d iv id u als of all stages ju m p w hen stim u
lated by ja rrin g .
In festatio n s of th is species usually are attended by various kinds of
ants, w hich ap p are n tly are attra c te d to th e honeydew produced by
the datebugs-
M ost of the datebug po p u latio n is composed of n y m phal stages.
T his is tru e even th o u g h a d u lt females, d u rin g th e ir m ost active pe
riod, live fo r a m onth o r m ore a fte r egg deposition begins. A dult
males live about as long as th e females.
I n th e colder p a r t of th e y ear th e insect is seldom seen aw ay from
th e protection afforded by th e basal p a rts of th e term in al leaves and
fru it stalks. I n th e w arm er season some in dividuals, chiefly adults,
scatter out on th e foliage. T h ere th e fem ales deposit th e ir eggs,
singly and d istrib u ted w idely, even n ear th e tip s o f long leaves 6 or 7
feet aw ay from th e place wliere tlie insects congregate. E g g s are
deposited usually on t le in n e r surface of th e pinnae. N ym phs seldom
are seen very f a r out on th e foliage, and, on hatch in g , they p ro m p tly
seek th e protection of th e basal p arts, w hich, however, liarbor b u t
few eggs.
T o illu stra te a ty p ical occurrence of th e datebug on foliage, 13, 45,
and 48 eggs, and 1, 4, and 5 ad u lt fem ales were fou n d scattered over
the inner surface of th e pinnae on 3 leaves of a sm all palm on A p ril 18.
Some of th e eggs h a d alread y hatched, and th e others were in various
stages of incubation, b u t no nym phs or ad u lt males were present.
No eggs w ere found on th e outer surfaces o f th e pinnae, n o r in th e
area occupied by th e p rin cip al datebug infestation.
Records obtained fro m individuals k ep t on sm all seedling palm s
in an insectary showed th e egg period to be about 14 days, beginning-
on M ay 26; 9 days a t various tim es in J u ly ; 37 days, beginning on
O ctober 29; and 79 days, beginning on November 15. D u rin g th e
same season the lengths of th e periods from egg deposition to em er
gence of adults, beg inning on th e dates given, were as fo llo w s: M ay
26, 60 days; J u ly 30, 35 days; and November 1 , 133 days.
T he m axim um num ber of eggs produced by a single fem ale was
not definitely determ ined, b u t th e average num ber p er in d iv id u al fo r
one lo t of 10 fem ales observed over an egg-producing period of 30
days, beginning on J u ly 11, Avas 124. A n o tie r group o f 4 females
observed over an egg-producing period of 80 days, beginning on Oc
tober 29, la id an average of 121 eggs. T h e average num ber of eggs
produced daily p er in d iv id u al d u rin g th e sum m er ranged from less
th a n 1 to 10 and d u rin g th e fa ll and w in ter from less th a n 1 to 4.
T h e date palm , a closely related species, Phoenix roebelini O ’B rien,

and h y b rid palm s produced by crossing th e d ate palm and th e C anary
Isla n d palm , are hosts of th e datebug. F o rty -fo u r varieties of the
date palm , includin g all th e m ore common ones, have been found to be
infested. T he C alifo rn ia fa n palm is a host b u t n o t a favored one.
T he datebug is well d istrib u ted on date palm s throug'hout the
Coachella V alley and is present in th e Im p erial Valley. I t is common
in th e Y um a D istrict, A riz., and is reported from the S a lt R iver V alley
d istrict, including th e G ila R iver Valley. I n 1934 th e datebug was
ap p are n tly absent in th e P alo V erde V alley, C alif. I t has been found
n ear L aredo, Tex. Lepesm e (^ i) stated th a t it occurs in th e en
virons of C airo, E g y p t.
CONTROL
Tests of various dusts and sp ray s have been m ade against th e d ate
bug d u rin g Ju n e and J u ly , when h ig h tem peratures prom ote m axim um
activity of th e insect and the highest efficiency of insecticides contain
in g nicotine or sulfur. T he dusts wei’e calcium cyanide, black gas
su lfu r, flowers of su lfu r, tw o nicotine dusts ( one containing 2 percent
and the other 3.5 percent of n ic o tin e), and a nicotine-sulfur d ust con
ta in in g 3.5 percent o f nicotine. T he sprays were 40-percent nicotine
su lfate in strength s of 1 to 500, 1 to 800, and 1 to 1,000; a p lain soap
solution a t the rate of 4 pounds of soap to 100 gallons of w ater, and
879506— 50 ----------- 4
a 1.5-percent stable oil emulsion. To each of th e nicotine sp ray s soap

was added a t th e ra te of 4 pounds to 100 gallons of w ater. B o th lig h t
and heavy applications Avere tried.
Caution.—^Many o f the chemicals used for insect control are poisonous
to man or irritating to the respiratory tract. Poisonous materials should
be stored and handled w ith care. T hey should be kept in tightly closed,
plainly labeled containers in places where they cannot contaminate food
or be mistaken for flour or other food materials or medicines, and where
children, pets, or livestock w ill not have access to them. Persons
handling or applying insecticides should use proper precautions to pre
vent breathing or ingesting the spray or dust. W here there is undue
exposure to dusts or sprays, a full-face respirator should be worn. Kero
sene and sulfur are inflammable and in certain mixtures w ith air are
explosive. A ll necessary precautions against fires and explosions should
be taken. D usting machinery used for applying sulfur should be
grounded to carry off static electricity.
O f the dusts used, only a heavy ap p lication of th e nicotine-sulfur
com bination was lastin g ly effective in rid d in g th e palm s of all date-
bugs and atten d in g ants. T he palm s rem ained free of these insects
fo r a t least 12 Aveeks and control was satisfacto ry fo r an entire season.
E ven a lig h t application, hoAvever, g reatly reduced th e datebug and ant
populations. B lack gas su lfu r and floAvers of su lfu r were com para
tively sloAv acting, b u t in tim e heavy applications of these m aterials
considerably reduced th e insects’ num bers. N icotine d ust at both
stren g th s and calcium cyanide d u st w ere effective and ra p id in their
action against datebugs and ants, b u t th e ir effectiveness d id n o t last
long. A nts retu rn ed to w ell-dusted surfaces w ith in 18 hours.
A thorough ap p lication of 40-percent nicotine sulfate, 1 p a rt to
500 p a rts of w ater, was th e m ost effective spray. A ll datebugs and
ants Avere elim inated 40 hours a fte r treatm en t. N icotine sulfate at
a 1 to 800 dilu tio n was effective as an im m ediate control, and at 1 to
1,000 reduced som ew hat th e datebug and an t populations up to 40
hours. T he oil em ulsion an d th e soap solution gave p a rtia l kills. An
inspection 12 weeks a fte r trea tm e n t showed th a t infestations of date
bugs and ants were about as heavy on all sprayed palm s as on the
u n treated checks.
T he palm s tre a te d w ith dusts and sp ray s AA’ere in an infested block,
and Avere exposed continuously to reinfestation. B est results Avere
obtained by opening up the basal p a rts of th e leaAês Avhere the datebugs
were concentrated in o rder to d irect th e flow of th e insecticide to the
liiding places of the insects. I t Avas n o t necessary to tre a t th e Avhole
tree, since only a sm all p ro p o rtio n of the p o p u latio n Avas out in the
open.
B ees, H ornets , and W asps
A lthough no stu d y has been m ade of th e kinds of bees, hornets, and

w asps th a t feed on rip e dates, it is kno A vn th a t species of th is group
sometimes do a good deal of dam age. Honeybees, in p articu la r, may
be h arm fu l, especially to varieties of soft dates. H o rn ets and social
w asps feed on fresh fru its, and it is probable th a t several species get
food from dates.
I n th e fa ll o f 1935 losses fro m these insects in a d ate g ard en n ear

P h o en ix led to th e ex p erim en tal use of shade-cloth extensions on
p ap er ra in covers as possible protection ag ain st them . F ifte e n h u n
dred special covers w ere m ade (fig. 9).
T h e shade cloth on th e covers was of th e ty p e used to cover fields of
wi’ap p er tobacco, asters, an d chrysanthem um s. Because th e p o p u la
tio n of bees, hornets, and w asps in th e date g arden w here the experi-
Figure 9-— Paper rain covers w ith shade-cloth extensions. W hen in use the covers
and extensions vvêre closed by means of spring clothespins.
m ental covers w ere trie d was much lower d u rin g th e h arv est of 1936
th a n it h a d been th e previous year, no test of protection against these
insects was obtained. N either were there enough w estern leaf-footed
bugs, discussed on page 5, to m ake possible a conclusion on th e effec
tiveness of the cloth extensions fo r excluding these insects. I t was
rep o rted by th e owner, however, th a t th e fig beetle, described in the
section th a t follows, was able to force its w ay th ro u g h th e cloth.
T h e grow er m entioned th a t th ere was no trouble fro m th e hum idity

being- too h ig h inside these covers, an d he added th a t m ovem ent of the
cloth in the breeze k ep t birds away.
T he covers shown in figure 9 are n o t recom mended, b u t they illus
tra te an experim ental model w hich m ay suggest im provem ents in de
sign and m aterials. S im ilar covers w ere tr ie d a t In d io in 1934. A
general-purpose cover should shed rain , exclude; n itid u lid beetles and
la rg e r insects, be easily opened and closed fo r picking th e crop, and
have enough ventilatio n to p rev en t th e h u m id ity from being too high
in the bunches.
F ig B eetle
T he fig beetle {Cotinis texana C asey ), a m em ber of th e large fam ily

Scarabaeidae, o r J u n e beetles, is a pest o f dates in th e S a lt -River
V alley. E ssig (3^) stated th a t it is a C en tral A m erican and Mexi
can species, th e ran g e of w hich extends into Texas, New Mexico, and
A rizona. A ccording to Q uayle {56) fig beetles were found at R iver
side and S an B ernardino, C alif. H . H . K eifer, of th e C alifornia
D epartm ent of A g ricu ltu re, in correspondence, added T u stin (in
O range C ounty) and Lom a L in d a (in S an B en iard in o County) to
the d istrib u tio n of th e species in C alifornia.
The m ost detailed account of th e fig beetle is th a t given by ISTichol
{^50). H e described th e eggs as being p early w hite and called atten
tion to the fact th a t they increase in size, th ro u g h absorption of w ater
from th e soil cell in w hich each is separately enclosed, u n til they are
about double th e ir o rig in al size. T h ere are th ree larv al stages.
L arvae move about by creeping on th e ir backs w ith th e help of rows of
bristles, th e ir legs p o in tin g upw ard.
T he yellow pupae ai-e enclosed in earth en cells an inch or more in
length, th e soil particles being bound tog eth er by a m ucilaginous
fluid secreted by th e insect.
A d u lt fig beetles are I'obust, velvety green on th e ir backs and shiny
green on the head, w ith a band of yellow aro u n d th e w ing covers.
T he sm allest males are about % inch long and the larg est females
about 1 % inches.
M ost of the fig beetles in A rizona develop in corrals and haystack
bottoms. The females lay th e ir eggs from 2% to 5 inches below the
surface layer of organic litter. F ro m 50 to 211 eggs have beeii laid
by 1 female, and egg lay in g m ay extend over periods of 4 to 41 days,
from early A ugust to late October. Em ergence of adults begins about
the m iddle of th e follow ing J u ly and continues th ro u g h October.
T here is 1 generation a year.
B efore casting th e ir first skin th e larv ae are fou n d ju s t below the
surface layer of organic litte r, upon w hich th ey feed. A fte r th e first
m olt th e grubs m ake p erm an en t tu nnels 4 to 12 inches deep. They
feed un d er th e litte r and re tu rn to th e ir burrow s a fte r each feeding
period. I n the la st la rv a l stage, a fte r th e second m olt, th e burrow s
m ay be 32 inches deep, b u t most of them are 12 to 24 inches deep.
A t th e low er end of th e burrow is a cham ber w here th e grub rests
between feedings.
W ith th e first soaking showers of th e m idsum m er ra in y season the
ad u lts em erge from th e p u p al cases, w hich are 2 to 5 inches below
tlie surface. W hen th e ad u lts first tak e w ing they fly a t once to a
f r u it tree. Fermentino- tVuit is p referred , and rip e fru it is n ex t in
attractiveness. In ju re d fru its are o ften attacked, and u n in ju red
fru its are n o t fed upon u n til a fte r th e beetle lias ])unctured th e skin
by using th e h o rn on th e fore ]iart of its head. M ost of th e feeding
is done from 10 in the m orning initil sundown.
Figs, peaches, and gra]ies are favorites, although serious dam age
m ay be done to dates. P ears, apples, cracked melons, cactus fru its,
dam aged late sweet corn, various i)ollens, and p la n t gums are fed upon.
M uch fru it is spoiled by th e beetles’ excrement.
L arvae m ay be controlled by cleaning u p corrals, m anure piles, and
haystack bottom s in F eb ru ary , M arch, and A p ril. F lo o d in g infested
areas fo r -iS hours kills th e eggs and young grubs. S atisfacto ry con
tro l m easures again st th e adults have n o t been reported.
N itidulid B eetles
S m all beetles o f th e fam ily N itidulidae, a nam e based on a L a tin

w ord m eaning “shiny,” have increased g reatly in date p lan tin g s in
recent years, as the q u an tity o f w aste fru its available d u rin g th e season
has increased. M embers of th is group of beetles and th e ir larvae feed
on soft fru its th a t are ripe, p a rtly dried, or in early stages of decay,
and on some w aste A’egetables th a t contain enough sugar to sup p o rt
ferm entation. F ru its and vegetables th a t are d ry or in w hich ro ttin g
is f a r advanced are n o t attractiv e to these beetles or to th e ir larvae.
T he m ost im poi’ta n t of th e n itid u lid s in date gardens are th e p in e
apple beetle ( Vrophorus humeralis ( F . ) ), th e d ried -fru it beetle {Car-
fopM lus hemipterus ( L .) ), th e corn sap beetle {CarpopMlus dimidia-
tus ( F .) ) , and the yellowish n itid u lid {Ilaptoncus luteolus ( E r .) ) .
T h is group of sm all beetles, also commonly called sour bugs, are th e
m ost destructive insects w ith w hich date grow ers have to contend.
A lthough the “sour” p a r t o f th is common nam e is ap p ro p riate, “sour
beetles” w ould be a b etter nam e since they are not tru e bugs.
I n th e w arm er p a rts of th e country, much w aste ripe fr u it falls to
th e ground, often on dam p soil, w here it usually squashes or cracks
open. T he surface th a t touches the soil becomes soft and very fav o r
able fo r n itid u lid beetles. T he adults feed and the larvae develop in a
m oist, d ark environm ent of yeasty and often m oldy pulp. T h e larvae,
feeding fo r 2 weeks o r more, usually go into th e soil beneath th e ir host
food to tran sfo rm into the pu p al stage. A t Fresno n itid u lid larvae
and pupae have been found as deep as 2 feet in d ry soil in a fig
orchard.
T he supply of food fo r n itid u lid beetles is varied when tree fru its
and certain vegetables are ripening. A lm ost an y th in g th a t contains
enough su g ar to sup p o rt yeast ferm entation w ill do. F ig s on the trees
are very attractiv e, as are also so ft ones on th e ground. M ushy citrus
fru its, ro ttin g apples, broken waterm elons, decaying sweet corn, and
sim ilar m aterials serve as food and breeding places fo r m any of the
beetles. T he beetles feed frequently on decomposing tom atoes, b u t do
no t breed in them to any extent.
T he fo u r species of n itid u lid s m ost conunonly found in infested
dates are illu strated in o rd er of th e ir size in figure 10. T he individual
species will be discussed briefly.
30 CIRCULAR 8 4 6, U . S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
PINEAPPLE BEETLE
T h e pineapple beetle is th e larg est n itid u lid commonly found in

dates in th e Coachella V alley. S ch m id t {S7) nam ed i t th e pineapple
beetle because of its dom inance am ong th e six species of n itid u lid s in
pineapple fields in th e H aw aiian Islan d s. T h ere th e h ig h su g ar con
te n t o f the stum ps and leaves th a t rem ain a fte r h arv est (15 to 20 tons
p er acre) favors ferm en tatio n an d produces food attractiv e to the
beetles. T h ere is no loss fro m attacks on pin eap p le fru its. However,
th e beetles are a nuisance in th e canneries. S chm idt stated th a t the
pineapple beetle has been found in In d ia , A frica, M au ritiu s, M ada
gascar, the E a s t Indies, and China.
T he pineapple beetle (fig. 10, J .) is a shiny black insect nearly
inch long w ith a fa in t brow n area a t th e base o f each w ing cover. As
w ith m any other n itid u lid s, th e w ing covers do n o t cover th e abdomen.
Figure 10.— ^Nitidulid beetles com m only found in infested dates: A , Pineapple
beetle; B, dried-fruit beetle; C, corn sap beetle; and D , yellow ish nitidulid.
Fem ales, w hich S ch m id t (S7) k ep t in glass dishes containing squares

of pineapple stum p, la id eggs beneath th e food. Tw enty-five females
averaged 882 eggs; th e m ost prolific in d iv id u al produced 1,466 eggs
and averaged alm ost 15 a day fo r 100 days. These fem ales lived from
23 to 113 days, th e average longevity being 89 days. E gg-laying
extended over an average period o f 76 days.
A lth o u g h th is beetle occurs in dates, in 1946 it was m uch more
ab u n d an t in w aste g ra p e fru it in th e region around Indio.
P em berton and W illiam s (52) rep o rted th a t a fte r developing in
pineapple stum ps th e p ineapple beetles fly to sugarcane fields, where
th e ir enorm ous num bers m ake them a nuisance to th e laborers. In
the fields the beetles develop on souring cane tra s h and congregate
und erg ro u n d on th e cu t ends of p la n ted seed pieces, p ro m o tin g fe r
m entation and in te rfe rin g w ith germ ination.
O n G uam th is species is found in sugarcane, ro tten b read fru it, and
decaying cucumbers, according to Swezey (64 ).
DRIED-FRUIT BEETLE
T h e d ried -fl'u it beetle, lo n g know n by th is som ew hat in a p p ro p ria te

nam e, w as by f a r th e m ost a b u n d an t n itid u lid in d ate gardens when
the first observations Avere m ade in 1921. I n recent years, however,
it has been of less im portance th a n th e corn sap beetle in dates in th e
Coachella V alley. L a rg e losses have been caused by th is beetle in cen-
tra l C alifo rn ia, w here it n o t only infests rip en in g figs b u t carries
into them th e yeasts and b acteria th a t cause souring.
D rie d -fru it beetle ad u lts (fig. 10, B ) are about inch long, black,
w ith tw o am ber-brow n spots on each w ing cover, one n ear th e tip ,
and a sm aller spot a t th e outer m a rg in of th e base.
T h e larvae (fiff. 1 1 , A ), i/ie inch long w hen new ly hatched, a tta in
a len g th of 1/4 in c h . T hey are w hite or yellow ish, and th e head and
the re a r end of th e body are am ber brow n. T hey are sparsely hairy.
A t th e ta il end th ere are tw o p ro m in en t spinelike projections, w ith
tw o sm aller ones in fro n t of them . These larv ae are sim ilar to other
n itid u lid larvae found in dates. T he jm pae (fig. 11, B ) , also ty p ical
of the group, are % inch long, w hite or pale yellow, and som ewhat
spiny.
Figure 11.— ^Dried-fruit beetle: A , Larvae; B, pupae.
L ike th e pineapple beetle, th e d rie d -fru it beetle has a sh o rt develop

m ental period and a long ad u lt life. T he females of both species are
very prolific. E ecords by Simmons, Eeed, and M cG regor {60) showed
th a t m ated fem ales lived an average of 103 days and m ated males
146 days. Tw o individuals survived fo r about 1 year. D eposition
of th e sm all w hite eggs, scattered over th e surface of th e food, began
about 3 days a fte r th e adults emerged. T he average num ber of eggs
la id was 1,071 and th e g reatest num ber was 2,134, produced in 79 days.
E ig h ty -n in e percent of th e eggs hatched.
T he d rie d -fru it beetle is an insect of wide distrib u tio n in w arm p a rts
of th e w orld. I t probably is th e m ost easily recognized of th e com
m on n itid u lid s because of its distinctive m arkings.
CORN SAP BEETLE
T h e corn sap beetle is th ird in size of th e fo u r n itid u lid s th a t most

com monly affect dates in southern C alifornia. I t is cu rren tly th e
m ost ab u n d an t n itid u lid in dates, and is common in cull g rap e
fru it.
T he ad u lts (fig. 10, G) are w ith o u t spots and th e ir color ranges

from brow nish-yellow th ro u g h various shades of brow n to black
tin g ed w ith red. L ike other n itid u lid s th e ir v aria tio n in size depends
upon w hether th e conditions u n d er w hich th e larv ae developed were
favorable. T he ad u lts of th is species are from i/ie to % inch in
length, b u t on an average are sm aller th a n th e d rie d -fru it beetle.
A lth o u g h th is species is reg ard ed as a cosm opolitan pest, little
was know n about its life h isto ry u n til B alzer (7) investigated it as
an enemy of rice in th e South. T h ere it breeds commonly in rice
b ran and rice polish and to a lesser extent in brow n, m illed, and
rough rice. I n th e w arm m oist clim ate of th e G u lf C oast region,
rice b ran and polish soon become ran cid and attractiv e to th e corn
sap beetle.
C racked rough rice on a lay er of dam p sand was used by B alzer for
obtaining biological data. A d u lts lived an average of 63 days in
summer, w hereas overw intered beetles lived as long as 200 days. Only
1 day elapsed between emergence and th e beginning of egg laying.
F ro m 175 to 225 eggs were laid, and some lots of eggs hatched w ithin
24 hours.
A few oviposition records, of a p a tte rn ty p ical of n itidulids, were
obtained a t F resno in 1929 by W . D. Eeed, of th e B u reau of E n
tom ology and P la n t Q u arantine. F erm en ted d ried peaches were
provided as food fo r the p airs of beetles. Tw o records are shown in
table 3.
YELLOWISH NITIDULID
“Yellowish n itid u lid ” is th e common nam e proposed fo r Haptoncus

luteolus (E r.). The beetle is sh o rter and b ro ad er th a n the corn sap
beetle, and its rectan g u lar w ing covers, extending nearly to th e tip
of the abdomen, give it a b lu n t appearance (fig. 10, Z>). I n length the
beetle m easures %2 inch.
T he yellowish n itid u lid is common in figs, various waste fru its, and
g rap e pomace in th e S an Jo aq u in V alley, C alif. L arg e num bers have
been captured in fig o rchards in tra p s baited w ith ferm enting dried
peaches, both in th e Coachella and th e S an Jo aq u in V alleys. Swezey
listed the follow ing host foods of th e species on G uam ; rotten
p an d an u s (screw jnne) fru it, ro tten b re a d fru it, and ro tten sugarcane.
LIFE STAGES AND FLIGHT HABITS
T he lengths of th e life stages of th e fo u r closely related nitidulids

are shown in table 4. M oist dates were used as food. T he eggs, larvae,
and pupae w ere developed a t fa irly constant tem peratures in an
incubator.
In fo rm atio n about th e flight h abits of various d rie d -fru it insects,
obtained by B arnes and K aloostian {10), showed th e d rie d -fru it beetle
to be a daytim e flier. I n 1938, a t F resno, captures of th is species in
a ro ta ry net di'iven by an electric m otor an d o perated 24 h o u rs a day
averaged 59 specimens a day in A p ril, 1,795 in M ay, and 1,933 in
June. D aily flight d id n o t s ta rt u n til fu ll d ay lig h t n o r u n til the
tem p eratu re rose to 63° F. T he flight reached a m axim um a t about
1 1 :30 a. m. and ceased w ith th e com ing o f darkness. T h e records,
m ade in a raisin storage y ard , included 166,000 d rie d -fru it beetles.
DATE' PALM INSECTS IN THE UNITED STATES 33
T ahle 3.— Deposition of eggs J)y 2 corn sap beetles. Fresno^ Calif
1929
E ggs laid by E ggs laid by

fem ale fem ale
D ate D a te
N o. 1 N o. 2 N o. 1 N o. 2
Aug. 7--------------- 2 Sept. 7 _ . 7 5

Aug. 8 --------------- 0 Sept. 8 - . 7 4
Aug. 9 __________ 0 Sept. 9^. 6 2
Aug. 1 0 _________ 0 Sept. 10. 10 8
Aug. 11 _________ 1 Sept. 11. 6 4
Aug. 1 2 _________ 0 1 Sept. 12. 7 4
Aug. 1 3 _________ 4 1 Sept. 13- 6 11
Aug. 1 4 _________ 5 1 Sept. 14 _ 15
Aug. 1 5 _________ 2 3 Sept. 15_ 4
Aug. 16 _________ 4 0 Sept. 16 _ 13
Aug. 1 7_________ 2 4 Sept. 17. 10
Aug. 1 8 _________ 1 3 Sept. 18. 7
Aug. 1 9 _________ 5 0 Sept. 19. 17
Aug. 2 0 _________ 9 4 Sept. 2 0 . 0
Aug. 2 1 ____ _______ 7 8 Sept. 21 _ 2
Aug. 2 2 ____ _ _ 4 7 Sept. 22- 5
Aug. 2 3 ___________ 5 10 Sept. 23 _ 7
Aug. 2 4 ____ _______ 1 4 Sept. 24 _ 3
Aug. 2 5 ___________ 4 5 Sept. 2 5 . 2
Aug. 2 6 ___________ 5 0 Sept. 2 6 . 2
Aug. 2 7 ____ ______ 3 11 Sept. 2 7 . 5
Aug. 2 8 ___________ 7 1 Sept. 2 8 . 5
Aug. 2 9 ___________ 4 15 Sept. 2 9 . 5
Aug, 30___________ 9 8 Sept. 3 0 . 3
Aug. 3 1 ___________ 8 5 Oct. 1 _ .. 1
Sept. 1 _ ___________ 5 7 Oct. 2__. 2
Sept. 2 ____________ 0 11 Oct. 3 , - . 0
Sept. 3 ____________ 4 9 Oct. 4_^. 2
Sept. 4 _ ’__________ 11 4 Oct. 5 . . . 1
Sept. 5 ____________ 10 6
Sept. 6 ____________ 1 1 T o ta l. 180 278
T able 4.— Length of various life stages o f doM nitidulids

AT 90° F.
Average period
N itidulid Indi
Total
viduals Incuba
tion Larval Pupal
Number Days Days Days Days

P ineapple beetle 24 1, 8 13. 0 5, 6 20, 4
D ried-fruit beetle . 7 1, 0 12. 4 5, 8 19. 2
Corn sap beetle. 10 1, 8 14, 3 5. 6 21, 7
Y ellow ish nitidulid 11 1. 0 12. 6 2. 4 16. 6
AT 80° F.
P ineapple beetle 17 2. 2 13, 8 8. 0 24. 0

Corn sap b eetle 24 2, 0 17, 8 7, 5 27. 3
Y ellow ish nitidulid 21 1, 3 12, 2 3, 3 16. 8
O n Septem ber 30,1946, a ro ta ry n e t was operated in a date garden

in th e Coachella V alley. T he p a tte rn of flight of th e d rie d -fru it
beetle agreed w ith th a t discovered in 1938. C orn sap beetles, how
ever, w ere fo u n d to have different flight habits. T hey were on the
w ing all day, b u t only a few were tak en before 1 p. m .; th e m ain flight
was a fte r 2 p. m. I n co n tra st to bo th species, th e yelloAvish n itid u lid
flew very little d u rin g th e m iddle of th e day, b u t was in the a ir in
larg e num bers early in th e m orning an d late in th e afternoon. P in e
apple beetles w ere too scarce to indicate definitely th e ir flight habits,
b u t th e few captu red w ere taken between 9 ;45 a. m. and 2 :15 p. m.,
suggesting lig h t and h eat reactions like those of th e d rie d -fru it beetle.
R uns of the revolving n et were again m ade on Septem ber 22 and
23, 1948, in th e same location. A lth o u g h n itid u lid s were present in
m uch sm aller num bers th a n they h ad been in 1946, th e flight records
were essentially th e same.
I n 1935 experim ents were m ade to determ ine th e distances th a t dried-
fr u it beetles fly.^ I n open country east of F resno, a p a rt from th e main
areas o f fig production b u t co n tain in g some grapes, figs, peaches, and
oranges, 103,600 stained beetles w ere released. T ra p s baited w ith fe r
m enting d ried peaches were p u t out in fo u r directions fro m the release
p o in t and were moved fa rth e r out a t intervals. I t was shown th a t
beetles trav eled m ore th a n 1,800 feet in less th a n 24 hours. Two
specimens were recovered 2 and 2.4 miles fro m th e s ta rtin g p oint after
4 days, and 2 were tak en 2.5 miles aw ay a fte r 6 days. These records
show th a t, in common w ith m any oth er insects, d rie d -fru it beetles
are stro n g fliers and m ay trav el several miles to reach attractiv e food
m aterials. P resum ably they trav el less w hen h ost fru its are more
abundant.
POPULATIONS IN DATES AND SOIL
D u rin g 1946 and 1947 n itid u lid beetles w ere collected from several
varieties of dates, from th e floors of room s in w hich dates h ad been
fum igated, and fro m sweet corn dam aged by corn earworms, waste
g ra p e fru it, and w aste figs. T h ere w ere m arked differences in th e com
position of the infestations. F o r th e m ost p a r t th e species were the
fo u r discussed. A few specimens of Garpophilus ohsoletus E r. and
G. decifiens H o rn were found in dates. Table 5 gives ty p ical collec
tion records o f nitidulids.®
T he corn sap beetle was th e dom inant species in th e Coachella Valley
in 1946 and 1947 (table 5). T he pineapple beetle was ab u n d an t only in
the w aste g rap efru it.
These collections of n itid u lid s dem onstrate th e p o ten tial im portance
of cull m aterial, w hen th e large po p u latio n s found are considered in
relatio n to the capacity of th e beetles fo r ra p id increase. One purpose
of these census studies was to em phasize th e u rg en t need fo r as much
fa rm san itatio n as can be m anaged u nder th e pressure of hig h costs
o f production.
* Barnes, D w ig h t F., K aloostian, George H., and F ish er, C harles K. [Unpub
lished report.] 1935.
° Lorin Roy G illogly, of Sacram ento, C alif., a sp ecia list in the N itidulidae,
separated the species in m any of the collections.
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I n ad d itio n to th e n itid u lid s in w aste f r u it ly in g on th e ground,

th e re is beneath it a su b terran ean p o p u latio n of th e sam e species,
chiefly full-grow n larv ae an d pupae. T h is fa c t p o in ts up th e need
fo r rem oving infested culls before larv ae develop to fu ll size and bury
themselves in dam p soil fo r p u p ation. Soil p o p u lations are, as a
rule, in direct p ro p o rtio n to th e am ount of w aste dates u n d er th e palms.
E xam inations o f soil a t In d io w ith a w ashing device consisting of
a series of screens have shown th a t over 90 p ercen t of th e n itid u lid s
are in th e top 8 inches. T he d istrib u tio n of 469 in dividuals a t two lo
cations was as follow s:
D ep th (in c h e s ) : Numlej
Oto 4____________________________________________________________ 123
4 to 8____________________________________________________________ 325
8 to 12____________________________________________________________ 17
12 to 16____________________________________________________________ 2
T here were 124 larvae, 234 pupae, and 111 adults. M ost of th e adults
h ad recently transform ed from th e p u p al stage.
W hen soil samples were taken a t 1-foot intervals beginning 1 foot
from th e tru n k of a palm , it was found th a t 75 percent of the nitidulids
were w ithin 3 feet of th e tru n k . T he d istribution was as follows:
1 foot out, 1; 2 feet, 13; 3 feet, 16; 4 feet, 3; 5 feet, 6 ; 6 feet, 0; 7 feet,
1 ; 8 feet, 0.
T he soil-sam pling d ata indicate th a t efforts to k ill larvae, pupae, and
adults in the soil d u rin g and a fte r harvest should be effective to a
depth of 1 foot and w ith in a rad iu s of 6 feet from the palm trunks.
T his applies, of course, to gardens where th e dropped dates have not
been scattered by tillage.
CONTROL IN DATE GARDENS
E xperim ents on the control of n itidulid beetles were carried on as

a cooperative project w ith the C itrus E xperim ent Station, U niversity
of C alifornia {11,12,4^) . Since th e beetle in festatio n in the Coachella
V alley was closely associated w ith date spoilage by molds and yeasts
caused by ra in and h ig h hum idity, th e w ork was tied in w ith the ex-
)erim ents on disease control th a t were being carried on by Bliss {13),
Bliss and L in d g ren {14), and L indgren, Bliss, and B arnes (4^).
F o u r types of control measures were s tu d ie d : S anitation, protection
of bunches, flood irrig atio n , and fum igation.
S a n i t a t i o n .— Clean-up of w aste host m aterials is a basic operation
in keeping down increase of nitidulids. T he im portance of sanitation
is em phasized by th e fact th a t infestation in date gardens may be
continuous th ro u g h o u t th e year. K ipening of th e crop extends
th rough 3 or 4 m onths. I n 1946, B arnes and L in d g ren {W) found
th a t n itid u lid s survived in old-crop w aste dates u n til the insects began
to in fest im m ature new-crop dates as early as Ju n e 30.
A ny progress th a t can be m ade in neighborhood or d istrict clean-up
w ill benefit date growers. E lim ination from th e home place of such
beetle breeders as ro tten citrus fru its and cracked pom egranates is
advisable. Pom egranates hang on th e trees all w inter, giving harbor
to m any beetles. I n A rizona, pom egranates provide food and shelter
fo r w estern leaf-footed bugs.
T he abundance of a v arie ty of foods a t a season w hen grow ers are

busy and find it h a rd to clean u p th o ro u g h ly all w aste fru its is th e chief
reason 'why n itid u lid beetles o ften increase to enorm ous numbers.
T he expense of g ettin g rid of such w aste f r u it is also a facto r, fo r a
new supply of f r u it keeps di'op])ing fro m th e trees an d m ost of it
has no value to offset p a rtia lly th e cost of picking it up.
To com plicate control m easures still fu rth e r, m any beetles often
develop on nearby farm s, b u t cause th e o p erato r of th a t p ro p erty no
concern. A s exam ples, broken Avatermelons in a field or culls in a
harvested peach o rch ard m ay n o t p resent any th re a t w hatever to
the owner. Consequently, he is n o t inclined to spend money to clean
up the w aste fru it. Such areas h arb o r beetles and, checkerboarded
th ro u g h a d istric t w here dates o r figs are grow n, p resent an in festa
tion h azard th a t has never been successfully met. A grow er, too,
may help to create his own in festatio n risk, by grow ing melons, or
in te rp la n tin g fig trees w ith pom egranate trees or date palm s w ith
g ra p e fru it trees.
C u ltiv atin g -u n d er w aste fru its does little to rem edy th e situation,
because larvae continue to develop in host food buried to shallow
depths. T he ad u lts are able to escape from th e soil a fte r pupation.
T ra p p in g th e beetles w ith baits has never been successful, because th e
great bulk of a ttractiv e food upon w hich th e insects are feeding p re
sents overw helm ing com petition w ith the baits in trap s.
U se of I n secticides .—T rea tm e n t of cull fru its a fte r they have been
collected has n o t been satisfacto rily w orked out. L indgren, Bliss,
and B arnes {Jf2) fou n d th a t benzene hexachloride dissolved in kero
sene is effective in k illin g m ost of th e n itid u lid s in and around waste
dates on the ground. F u rth e r tests are needed to determ ine w hether
it would be safe to use benzene hexachloride y ear a fte r year, perhaps
twice each season, to tre a t d ropped f r u it u nder date palm s. T his
pungent, p ersisten t chem ical sometimes contam inates products on
w hich it is sprayed or w hich are grow ing in soil treated w ith it.
L ong intervals between pickings contribute to n itid u lid in festa
tions by p ro v id in g th e beetles w ith a larg e supply of rip e dates on
the bunches. F u rth erm o re, m any rip e fru its shatJter off when p ick
ing is delayed.
P rotection of B u n c h e s .—B o th m echanical and chemical protec
tion of dates on th e bunches offer prom ise as means of reducing losses
by infestation. A lth o u g h n o t perfected, m echanical protection by
means of bunch covers (fig. 9) offers good possibilities.
Bliss {13) fo u n d th a t spoilage by fu n g i was g reatly reduced by
dusting bunches of D eglet N oor dates w ith su lfu r, su lfu r containing
10 percent of Yellow C uprocide, and su lfu r containing 5 percent of
F erm ate (fe rric dim ethyl dithiocarbam ate or ferb am ). T he two last
m aterials reduced fu n g u s spoilage in 1945 from 53 percent to 11 p e r
cent, and n itid u lid in festatio n in the trea ted dates was relatively light.
B liss and L in d g ren ( i^ ) in 1946 dusted th e D eglet Noor, K hadraw y,
S aidy, and M edjhool varieties of dates w ith su lfu r containing 5
percent of F erm ate, a m ix tu re o rig in ated by Bliss and nam ed by him
“T hiom ate.” F u n g u s spoilage an d n itid u lid in festatio n were reduced
in all 10 te st plots.
L iiidgren, Bliss, and B arnes in 1947 rep o rted in fo rm atio n on

fu rth e r tests w ith fu n g icid al dusts, m ost of w hich contained sulfur.
Thiom ate again gave encouraging results fo r control of fu n g i an d niti-
dulids. In sertio n of w ire rin g s to separate th e fr u it stran d s of D eglet
N oor bunches before du stin g w ith th e su lfu r-F erm ate m ix tu re resulted
in th e best control of infection by fungi. See caution statem ent, p. 26.
F lood I rrigation .— P rolonged flooding in basins (fig. 12 ) kills most
of th e n itid u lid s in th e trea ted area. B arnes an d L in d g ren (12)
found th a t no pupae and few larv ae survived in soil th a t h ad been
flooded fo r 6 days, w hereas in u n treated soil in festatio n h ad increased
by 85 percent. A n o th er test, la id out early in 1948, showed reductions
Figure 12.— Flooded date palm grove. Photograph by Clyde Simmons.
th a t were, in general, in direct p ro p o rtio n to th e d u ratio n of flooding.

Few larvae and pupae rem ained alive a fte r 8 days u nder w ater.
N ixon {51) em phasized th e im portance of adequate p en etratio n of
irrig a tio n w ater, 9 to 12 acre-feet of w hich are needed p er y ear in
th e Coachella V alley fo r date palm s in fu ll production. F lood ir r i
gation fo r n itid u lid control, therefore, should n o t seriously upset
irrig a tio n program s, w hich n orm ally are heavy. H ow ever, lig h t
porous soils cannot be k ep t flooded w ithout excessive costs fo r w ater.
F u m i g a t i o n .—Because fu m ig atio n is useful ag ain st a num ber of
other date insects as well as th e n itid u lid s, th is phase of control will
be trea ted near the end of th is circular.
DATE' PALM INSECTS IN TH E UNITED STATES 39
R aisin M oth
T he raisin moih {Ephesfia figulileUa G reg.) first became an im
portant ])est of raisin s in C alifo rn ia in 1928. I ts biology and conti'ol
lave been discussed in d etail by Donolioe, Simm ons, and B arnes (.^,9,
30 ) . Since 1928 larg e losses have been caused by larvae of th is species
in figs, and the fondness of th e larv ae fo r d ried peaches, a])i'icots,
raisins, and pears has led to su b stan tial expenditures fo r fum igation.
O th er foods are rip e grapes, w aste plum s, fallen m ulberries, cotton
seed cake, cacao beans, an d cashew kernels.
T he raisin m oth a d u lt (fig. 13) is a sm all g ray m oth w ith a few
obscure d ark er bands an d spots on the forew ings, w hich have a spread
of % inch. T he p u p a is a ty p ical m oth chrysalis, brow n in color and
enclosed in a tou g h silken cocoon w hich is spun u nder b ark or in the
topsoil and, in storages, un d er boards and boxes or between folds of
Figure 13.— Raisin moth, female.
paper. E a isin m oth larv ae closely resemble those of th e Indian-m eal

m oth (fig. 14), b u t instead of being un ifo rm ly w hite th e body is
streaked w ith six row s of lavender dots. I n length the full-grow n
larva m easures about % inch.
A lthough th e lives of th e ad u lts are b rief in w arm w eather, averag
in g only 11 days fo r males and 16 days fo r females, th e ir reproduction
is prolific. A n average of 351 eggs has been recorded, the m axim um
being 692 eggs.
A t 83° F . eggs h atch in 3 to 6 days, larvae develop in about 32 days,
the p rep u p al period is 1 day, pupae develop in about 9 days, and the
egg-to-adult period is about 43 clays. W in te r is passed in th e larv al
stage, generally as well-gTown larvae. P u p atio n takes place in th e
spring. I n th e S an Jo aq u in V alley adults begin to ap p ear in A pril.
B arnes and K aloostian {10) rep o rted th a t flight of t le raisin m oths
begins on w arm n ig h ts about a h a lf ho u r a fte r sunset and continues
u n til sunrise. M ost of th e aerial activ ity of the females, and th e ir
egg laying, are concentrated in th e first few hours of darkness.
T his insect is a m em ber of th e fam ily P hy citid ae, w hich includes

the Indian-m eal m oth, th e M editerranean flour m oth, an d th e navel
orangew orm . In festatio n s of th e raisin m oth have been found in
storages in m any p a rts of th e w orld. I n C alifo rn ia and A rizona, and
probably in E g y p t and A u stralia, it is chiefly a field insect th a t m ain
tain s itself out-of-doors th ro u g h o u t th e year. W hen infested m a
terials are moved from farm s to storages, th e larvae continue to
develop and th e ad u lts emerge, b u t new reproduction in stored dried
fru its is g reatly restricted.
T he raisin m oth has been found in dates in th e Coachella, Im p erial,
and S a lt R iver V alleys, and in th e Y um a, A riz., region. L indgren,
Bliss, and B arnes ( ^ ) found th a t D eglet N oor dates exam ined in the
experim ents of 1947 contained Y2o as m any fru its infested w ith the
raisin m oth and th e In d ian -m eal m oth combined, as w ith n itid u lid
beetles. T he M edjhool v ariety was th e m ost heavily attacked, and 8
percent of the fru its contained in festatio n by bo th moths.
V arious m easures have been developed fo r control of raisin m oth
infestations in th e d ried fru its produced in th e S an Jo aq u in Valley,
b u t when dates become infestecl p ro m p t fu m ig atio n probably is the
best proQedure. E xperience w ith shade-cloth protection of dried
peaches and other d ried fru its gives assurance th a t date bunch covers
closed w ith open-weave fab ric w ould exclude m ost of the raisin moths.
"b
Figure 14.— Indian-meal moth: A , Adult; B, larva.
D elays in picking provide th e best conditions fo r in festatio n of dates

on the bunch by th is species, and by th e In d ian -m eal moth.
M o rrill {Ifi) rep o rted th a t Ae&etor (S ay) often is seen
attack in g th e larvae.
I n d ia n -M eal M oth
T he Indian-m eal m oth {Plodia interfunctella (H b n .)) is w orld

w ide in its distribution. I ts larv ae feed on m any substances, includ
ing all kinds of d ried fru its, n u t meats, candy, grain , and milled
cereal products. T he ad u lt (fig. 14, A ) is an attractiv ely m arked
m oth of variable size, m ost specimens being about % inch long. The
outer h a lf of the forew ing is reddish brow n w ith d a rk e r m arkings and
the in n er p a r t is gray. T h ere is a coppery b an d between th e tw o con
tra s tin g areas.
D u rin g th e day th e ad u lts rem ain quiet in d a rk places, b u t some
m ay be seen restin g on w alls and ceilings of storage rooms. B arnes
and K aloostian {W) rep o rted th a t th e ir n o ctu rn al flig h t h abits re
semble closely those of the raisin m oth. In d ian -m eal m oth adults feed
only on liquids an d do no dam age to dates.
I n the S an Jo aq u in an d Coacliella V alleys th e species is to some

extent a field insect, b u t even in these w ariii regions it is p rim arily
a pest in storage buildings. In t'his res})ect it differs from th e raisin
m oth, w hich thrives in th e field b u t does poorly in storage.
In an open insectary a t In d io , In d ian -m eal m oth ad id ts of both
sexes lived 2 to 5 days in th e sum m er, up to 7 days in M ay and October,
and as long as 10 days late in November. O ne to tw o days a fte r
emergence, deposition of th e very sm all w hite eggs began. T hey
adhered w eakly to th e outside of dates, singly or in groups, chiefly
depressions and along creases in th e skin. T h e eggs produced by
7 fem ales d u rin g the la tte r ha if of M ay averaged 170. T h ere was much
irre g u la rity in the count of eggs deposited day by day.
D u rin g the sunim er the eggs hatched in 2 to 4 days, from Septem ber
to the m iddle of O ctober in 3 to 5 days, and late in October in about
7 days. E ggs deposited on November 23 hatched in 17 days; those
laid Novem ber 30 hatched 22 days la te r; early in A p ril th e incubation
period was 5 days.
Newly hatched larv ae are d ull w hite, b u t older individuals (figs.
14:Z>, 15) often become yellow, sometimes pink, and less often assume a
greenish tinge. W hen new ly hatched, th e larvae are inch long,
becoming about i/^ inch when m ature.
A fte r leaving the egg shell, th e larvae enter any break in th e su r
face of a date, b u t if th e re are none they are able to gnaw th ro u g h
intact skin. T h e hole a t th e calyx end is most often th e place of
entrance. A ll ty p es of i-ine dates are attack ed ; also dates attached
to the bunches, w hether so ft an d ju s t rip en in g or d ry and well m a
tured ; dropped dates of all kinds, except those actually w e t; and stored
dates. G eneral infestatio n s of f r u it on palm s are uncommon, and
the d rier, m ore m ature, dates in th e bunches are p referred. The larvae
also nibble on h a rd d ate seeds, w hich are frequently scarified and
even shallow ly bored into.
T hreads of silk are spun by th e caterp illars as they craw l about.
In heavy infestation s sheets of silk and webbed-up masses of excreta
are produced. A common h ab it is to cover w ith a web th e entrance
hole a t the calyx end of dates.
On reaching m a tu rity th e larvae usually leave the dates and pupate
elsewhere, sp in n in g cocoons between or beneath dates or in cracks or
corners o f boxes (fig. 15). T h e pupae are lig h t brow n a t first, then
tu rn darker. T hey are % inch long.
I n the insectary a t In d io , th e insect passed th e w in ter in th e larv al
stage and began to change to th e p u p al form in M arch. T hroughout
the w inter larv ae n o t yet m atu re fed to some extent and increased in
size slowly. Those th a t hatched November 3 p u p ated early in M arch
and em erged as ad u lts th e first week in A p ril. Thus, the larv al period
was slightly longer th a n 4 m onths and th e pu p al period about 25 days.
T he life cycle was a little over 5 m onths. D u rin g th e h o t season, from
the m iddle of M ay u n til th e end of Septem ber, th e life cycle ranged
from 36 to 70 days and generations overlapped.
H am lin, Keed, and P h illip s (S9) reported th a t, a t Fresno, C alif.,
larvae of th e In d ian -m eal m oth reared on raisin s required 21 to 74
days to reach m a tu rity and th a t p u p atio n required 4 to 9 days, in
Ju n e, J u ly , and A ugust.
A sm all, yellow an d black, w asplike p arasite, Microbracon hebetor

(S a y ), often is seen in larg e num bers attack in g larv ae of th e In d ian -
m eal m oth. A ccording to M o rrill {1^6) th e economic im portance of
this common external p arasite as a control has n o t been determ ined.
M o rrill’s investigation of th e life h isto ry of Mierobracon hebetor^
carried on a t F resno, resulted in th e p roduction of 14 generations in
a year. A s m any as 358 eggs were la id by an in d ividual, b u t th e aver
age was 90. F ro m 1 to 11, usually 5, eggs were deposited beneath or
beside larvae of th e host th a t h ad been p aralyzed by stinging. Sm all,
w hite, silk cocoons were constructed by th e p arasite larvae n ear the
rem ains of the host. I n h o t w eather th e eggs hatched in 1 day, the
larvae fed fo r 4 days, p u p atio n extended th ro u g h 4 days, and the
egg-to-adult period was 10 days. Fem ales lived fo r about 33 days in
th e spring, and males fo r 10 days.
Figure 15.— Full-grown larvae of the Indian-meal m oth in cocoons made between
tw o date-drying trays.
C ontrol of the In d ian -m eal m oth in dates is chiefly a packing-house

problem . P ro m p t fu m ig atio n o f receipts is of course advisable. I n
spection of a p la n t w ith a flashlight early in th e evening w ill reveal
flying adults if in festatio n in sto red dates has become established.
Search of th e prem ises m ay tu rn up infested old-crop f r u it th a t has
been overlooked in routine cleaning operations.
P ackaged dates are likely to become infested if exposed to egg-lay
in g females, unless th e packages are tig h tly sealed. T ests have shown
th a t new ly hatched larvae of th e In d ian -m eal m oth are able to reach
food th ro u g h a crevice only 0.12 m illim eter (0.0047 inch) wide.
S aw -T oothed G ra in B eetle
L arv ae and adults of th e saw -toothed g ra in beetle {OryzaepMTm

surinamensis (L .)) feed on alm ost all kinds of stored-food products
of vegetable orig in —cereals, copra, d ried fru its, n u t m eats, and

candy—and m ay also be fou n d in tobacco, drugs, and d ried meats.
T hey p re fe r d ry substances. F resh and stored dates fa irly h ig h in
w ater content are no t o rd h iarily attacked, and even dates low in m ois
tu re seldom are m olested u n til an appreciable storage period has
elapsed.
T he species is ty p ically a packing-house insect. I t is uncom mon in
recently harvested fru its delivered a t th e packing house. H owever,
this g ra in beetle eventually infests dates u n d er th e palm s w hether
they ripened d ry and rem ained SA veet or ripened in a m oist condition,
soured, and th e n d ried out. D ates do n o t become too h a rd fo r attack
by th is insect in eith er th e ad u lt or th e la rv a l stage. Sometimes th e
adults h a re been found on decaying ])alm fiber and leaf bases.
B
Figure 16.— Saw-toothed grain beetle: A , Larva; B, pupa; C, adult.
T he ad u lt (fig. 16, C) is less th a n i/g inch long, chocolate brow n,

narrow , and m uch flattened, w ith six toothlike projections along each
m argin of th e body in fro n t of th e wings. T his beetle is a ra p id
craw ler and, althou g h it has well-developed wings, flight h as never
been observed. L ik e larv ae of th e In d ian -m eal m oth, newly hatched
larvae of th e saw -toothed g ra in beetle can enter crevices th a t are
exceedingly narrow . E ven th e crack around th e cover of press-top
tin cans o f dates has been p en etrated by them.
T he eggs are elongate-oval, w hite, inch long, and have been seen
scattered about w ith in th e cavity of dates. T he larv ae (fig. 16, J .) are
yellowish w hite an d w hen fu ll grow n are slig h tly less th a n % inch
long. P u p ae (fig. 16, B ) are w hite o r yellow ish w hite and are found
w ithin dates infested by th e ad u lts and larvae of th e insect. A cocoon
or cell usually is m ade fo r protection of th e pupa, th e cell being m ade
of fine particles of food cem ented together by secretion from th e m outh
of th e larva. Some pupae have no cocoon protection.
44 CIRCULAR 8 4 6 , TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICITLTTJEE
B ack an d C otton (S) recorded th a t in th e ir observations on th e saw

toothed g ra in beetle th e num ber of eggs la id p er fem ale ran g ed from
45 to 285. T h e lengths o f th e various periods in its life cycle w ere as
fo llo w s: P reoviposition period, 5 to 207 d a y s ; egg period, 3 to 5 days
in m idsum m er and 8 to 17 days in sp rin g and f a l l ; la rv a l period, about
2 weeks in m idsum m er (th e sh o rtest was 12 d a y s ), an d 4 to 7 weeks in
the s p rin g ; p u p al period, 6 to 9 days in m idsum m er an d 19 to 21 days
in m idw inter. T h e life cycle from egg to egg ran g ed from 27 to 315
days.
S aw -toothed g rain beetles are long-lived. Several specimens k ep t
u nder observation by B ack and C otton lived fo r m ore th a n 2 years and
one survived fo r over 3 years.
B oth th e adults and larv ae rem ain active th ro u g h o u t th e year in
stored dates and in dropped dates out-of-doors. A ccum ulations of
dates le ft undistu rb ed fo r any len g th o f tim e are likely to become
heavily infested. F eed in g on dates results in roughened, tunneled,
and contam inated fru it.
A common external p arasite of th e larv ae an d pupae o f th e saw
toothed g ra in beetle is Cefhalonomia tarsalis (A shm .). T he yellow
ish silk cocoons of th is m inute, black w asplike insect frequently are
seen w here the hosts are p len tifu l. A life h isto ry stu d y by Pow ell {63)
revealed th a t fertilized fem ales first p aralyze th e host by stin g in g and
th en deposit 2 eggs on th e victim ’s body—a fem ale egg and a male egg.
T o ta l egg production averages about 85, an d h atch in g takes place
w ith in 24 hours. T h e larv ae feed fo r 4 days, th en spin a cocoon for
pupation. W in ter is passed in the p u p al stage. T he fem ale parasites
live fo r an average of 35 days, and th e males live only 6 days. Pow ell
concluded th a t the p arasite does n o t accom plish an im p o rta n t degree
o f control of the beetle.
M erchant G rain B eetle
A n insect sim ilar in appearance to th e saw -toothed g ra in beetle is the

m erchant g ra in beetle {Oryzaephilus 'inercator ( F a u v .) ), w hich also
occurs in w aste dates in th e Coachella Valley. T h e relativ e abundance
of the two species of g ra in beetles has n o t been investigated. These
tw o sm all beetles are read ily killed by fum igation.
MINOR PESTS INFESTING DATE PALMS

A pache C icada
T he A pache cicada {Diceroproota apache {Davis ) ) is common in

the desert regions of th e Southw est. I t is discussed by Q uayle
{66, p. 95) as a m inor pest of date palm s, an d of g ra p e fru it and
other citrus trees. O bservations m ade by th e senior a u th o r on a
cicada of sim ilar h ab its in th e Coachella V alley are given in th e
follow ing paragraphs.®
®The senior author discussed th e cicada w hich he found in date gardens under
another name, now considered to have been a m istaken identification. The
specim ens have been lost, but the w eigh t of evidence is in fa v o r o f the conclusion
th a t they w ere D iceroprocta apa ch e; therefore th e senior author’s records are
provisionally referred to w h at m ay be called th e A pache cicada.
T he fem ale of th is cicada in ju res f r u it trees w hen she punctures the

ten d er p a rts of th e tree w ith lier egg tu b e and hiys h er eggs in the
puncture. O n d ate p ah n s th e punctures are m ade on th e m idribs and
pinnae of the leaves and, less connnonly, on th e f r u it threads. T he
punctures occur in row s ran g in g from a fractio n of an inch to 12 inches
in length, b u t m ost row s are 2 to G inches long. T h ere are about Y
egg punctures p er inch, slan tin g into the tissue. A ty p ical row, m ade
by one fem ale, was 4 inches long, consisted of 28 punctures, and con
tained 158 eggs. T h ere were -4 to 8 eggs in each puncture. A t th is
rate about 470 eggs w ould be found in a 12-inch row.
O nly a few of the egg p u nctures on a palm are m ade on the pinnae.
T here th e eggs are pushed en tirely th ro u g h , becom ing exposed on the
opposite side of th e th in pinnae. O n th e m idribs th e punctures usually
are m ade on th e outer surfaces, m ore often tow’ard the tip of the
leaves. E g g punctures are m ost num erous on th e older leaves, an
indication th a t punctures are accum ulated fro m y ear to year. On
living f r u it th read s th e p unctures are m ade in any location, b u t gen
erally are found between th e dates and th e base of the threads.
A lthough punctures m ade n ear th e slender tip s of th e m idribs some
times cause th e su rro u n d in g p a rts to die, in ju ry to a leaf is always
insignificant. P u n ctu res on f r u it th read s, however, m ay obstruct
the flow of sap, and th e effects on th e fru its m ay be h arm fu l. P alm s
on the edge of th e desert, n ear larg e m esquite thickets, are likely to
have m ore p u n ctu re row s on th e ir leaves th a n trees w ith in cultivated
areas.
T he m ost severe attack observed on f r u it th read s occurred on 2 palm s
in the m id st of a date-grow ing center. O f th e 279 th read s on these
trees, 28 percent were p u n ctu red and 7 percent were dam aged enough
to affect th e dates. D u rin g th e same season 5 percent of 3,161 fru it
threads on 24 trees tak en a t random in 6 w ell-separated gardens were
p unctured by th e cicada, b u t th e fru its on only 1 percent of the
threads wêre affected. D am age varied fro m com plete d ry in g up of
dates to slig h t reduction in size.
Im m atu re stages of th e insect in h a b it th e soil b u t do no dam age to
the roots of d ate palm s. D u rin g 10 years m any hundreds of off
shoots and sm all palm s were handled, b u t nym phs of the cicada seldom
were found around th e ro o t bases.
DESCRIPTION
T he eggs of th e cicada are elongate, %2 inch long by inch in

diam eter. T hey are sm ooth, shiny, m ilky in color, and tran slu cen t at
both eids.
T he nym phs are brow n, thick-set, and have stro n g ly developed
fro n t legs fitted fo r b u rro w in g in th e ground. T he adults of both
sexes are alike in shape, size, and coloration. T he body is stout, broad
across th e an terio r end, and ranges in length, in cluding th e folded-
back wings, from 1% to 1% inches. T he general color is brow n, from
lig h t to d a rk brow n on th e back, w ith lig h ter shades of brow n on th e
u n d erp arts and legs. T h ere is a pro m in en t light-brow n band across
the back a t th e base of th e w ings, w hich are tra n sp a re n t and have
brown veins.
HABITS
T he subterranean life of th e cicada ends late in M ay or early in
Ju n e, but sometimes adults ap p ear as early as th e m iddle of A pril.
P u p ae issue from the ground d u rin g th e night. O n h o t n ights they
craw l upw ard a t a rate of about 1 foot a m inute an d rest fo r 1 to
20 m inutes before th e ir skins begin to split. T he p u p ae fasten them
selves to the under side of slan tin g surfaces (w hich p erm it b etter sus
pension w hile the w ings of the ad u lt are expan d in g and h a rd e n in g ),
though such objects as vei’tical, sm ooth walls m ay be chosen. Not
m ore th a n 30 m inutes are required fo r the adults to em erge and expand
th e ir wings. A fte r clinging briefly to th e m olted skins, they crawl
away, usually upw ard, fo r 50 to 80 m inutes, d u rin g w hich tim e they
move from less th a n % foot to 4 feet before flying off. Less th a n 3
hours is needed fo r them to issue fi'om th e ground, em erge as adults,
and fly away.
The adults are present in greatest abundance d u rin g Ju n e and the
first week in Ju ly . M ost of them d isappear d u rin g th e la tte r h alf of
J u ly , although in some years occasional males m ay be h eard singing
in September.
A ccording to Q uayle {55), th is cicada requires 2 years fo r its de
velopm ent, w hich takes place on th e roots of citrus trees and other
plants.
O w ing to the h abits of th is insect and to the fa c t th a t its dam age to
dates is of m inor im portance, control m easures 'have n o t been worked
out.
G ia n t P a lm B orer
T he g ia n t palm borer {Dinapate wrightii H o rn ) is a cylindrical,
dark-brow n or black beetle. I t is a borer in C alifo rn ia fan palms
in the foothills around th e Coachella V alley and in Low er C alifornia,
according to M ichelbacher and Ross {45). T his species has been
known to dam age date palm s in th e P alm S p rin g s area, b u t fo rtu
nately those in th e com mercial date gardens on th e floor of the V alley
have not been attacked. Tunnels as deep as 16 inches are sometimes
made in the grow ing tip of palms.
O bservers have concluded th a t larval developm ent in palm trunks
requires a t least 2 years. A d u lts reach a len g th of 2 % inches.
Because th is is th e largest of th e 400 species th a t com prise the
fam ily B ostrichidae th ro u g h o u t the w orld, and because its g eograph
ical d istrib u tio n is restricted, th e insect collector who discovered
the species, about 1886, k ep t th e location of his find, P alm Canyon, a
secret. F o r some years th e beetle h ad th e distinction of being a
collectors’ prize of considerable value.
P a lm R hinoceros B eetle
The palm rhinoceros beetle {Strategus julianus B urm .) has been
found in Georgia, M ississippi, Louisiana, Texas, an d A rizona. O u t
side of the U nited S tates it occurs in Mexico, G uatem ala, B ritish
H onduras, H ondu ras, Costa Rica, P an am a, and Colombia. I n th e
U nited S tates it is most common in th e coastal areas along th e G u lf
of Mexico.
T he adults ultaok th e coconut i)alni {Cocoi^ nucifera L .), C an ary

Ishincl pahn, C alit'oiiihi fan pahn, and tw o fiber p lants, zapupe and
nia^'uey. T h e larv ae are fotind in rottinj^ logs and decayinj^ vege
table m a tte r beneath leaves. T h e ir developm ent extends over or
4 years.
T his rhinoceros beetle has dam aged sm all d ate ])alms in th e lower
Kio G rande V alley, Texas. Cockerell (^5) re])orted in ju ry to roots
of date palm s in A rizona. T h e ad u lts are stout, shiny black beetles,
li/o inches long by nearly % wide. T h e males are readily dis
tinguished from the fem ales by tlie large horns on th e head.
T he adnlts enter th e soil a t th e base of palm s and bore into th e
tissue. Several m ay attack one small date palm. T hey w ork in the
basal p arts, largely beneath th e surface of th e soil, b u t m ay bore up
into the tru n k . In sm all palm s th e A'ital term inal bud is close to the
basal p arts, and because (he beetles seem to p refer sm all palm s the
p lants m ay be fa ta lly injured.
F rom year to year an increasing p ro p o rtio n of sm all palm s in
a p la n tin g m ay be killed or badly dam aged, but m any are able to
survive and reach a size an d vigor th a t m ake them im m une from
serious harm .
I n the low er Kio G ran d e V alley m ost of th e in ju ry to d ate palm s
occurs from A p ril to Ju ly . N urserym en there have rep o rted th a t in
some years h a lf of th e ir n u rsery palm s (o f all species) have been
killed by th e palm rhinoceros beetle. T he rem edy has been to fiooci
the beetles out of th e ir holes w ith w ater, pick them up in a bucket,
and kill them Avith kerosene. S. W . C lark, a t one tim e entom ologist
of the Texas A g ricu ltu ral E x p erim en t S tatio n a t Weslaco, found th a t
flooding the beetles out of th e ir holes w ith w’ater every few days
d u rin g th e ir active season was th e best control measure.
M IN O R PESTS IN F E S T IN G D A T ES
N a v e l O range w o r m
L arvae of the navel orangew'orm m oth {Myelois venipars D y ar)
were found in 1936 in festin g dates on th e g ro u n d and to a lesser ex
tent on palm s n ear Tem pe, A riz. In 1946 specimens were taken from
both dropped and picked dates in th e In d io d istrict. T his species,
w hich has become a pest of w alnuts in S outhern C alifornia, is related
to such dam aging insects as th e Inclian-m eal m oth, th e raisin m oth,
and the waxw orm . E ssig {SB) stated th a t the navel orangew orm
attacks navel and V alencia oranges and in ju re d lemons in A rizona
and occurs also on th e w est coast of Mexico. A rm itag e ^ listed the
follow ing hosts of th e insect in C a lifo rn ia: A lm ond, jujube, loquat,
orange, peach (m um m ified), prune, quince, and E n g lish w alnut. I n
1948 the navel orangew orm was found fo r th e first tim e in th e San
Joaquin V alley, by th e second author. T h e host was A v aste figs.
I n 1922 M ote {.!f8) presented a rep o rt on a new pest in A rizona, th e
navel orangeAvorm, at a convention of th e W estern P la n t Q u aran tin e
B oard in Sacram ento, C alif. L ife-h isto ry records m ade by F . H .
(lates in 1921 Avere presented. T he eggs are w hite when first laid, and
''Arm itage, H. M. [M im eographed m em orandum.] C alif. State Dept. Agr.
E-27. 1947.
la te r tu r n orange or red. Incubation, in O ctober, required 4 days

and la rv a l grow th , 30 to 50 days. F u ll-g ro w n larvae are % to % incli
long, pale p in k o r deep pink. T h e la rv a pu p ates in th e rin d n ear th e
navel of th e orange, th e p u p a being enclosed in a cocoon composed
o f excreta and borings m ixed w ith stran d s of silk. T h e p u p al stage
lasts 8 to 13 days.
A ccording to E ssig (32) th e m oth h as a w ingspread of nearly %
inch and is “pale g ray ish m arbled w ith brow n an d black.”
T he in n e r p a r t of dates th a t have been fed upon by larvae of the
navel orangew orm is litte red w ith la rg e pellets of excreta. Conse
quently, fouling of fr u it by th is insect is m ore noticeable th a n is th a t
by larvae of th e In d ian -m eal m oth and th e raisin moth.
D ate S tone B eetle

One of th e m ost in terestin g of th e insects th a t attack dates is the
date stone beetle {Coocotrypes dactyliperda ( F .) ) . T his m inute
dark-brow n beetle is a close relativ e of th e b ark beetles (Scolytidae)
th a t are so destructive to coniferous forests in th is country. I n ad d i
tion to burrow ing into date seeds, th is beetle has been recorded by
Lepesme (4-?) as a pest of sweet alm onds in th e O rien t and of vege
table ivory in A frica.
Because of its fondness fo r vegetable ivory—th e seeds of several
species of palm from w hich buttons are m ade—it has been called the
button beetle. V an D er M erwe {67) fou n d th a t b u ttons attached to
clothing were m ore subject to a ttack th a n were loose buttons. H e
reported th a t dam age was m ost common in th e w arm , coastal clim ate
of D urban, N atal, U nion of S outh A frica.
A ccording to in fo rm atio n obtained by V an D er M erwe th e w hite
eggs, Vso inch long, are deposited in the burrow . T he incubation
period is com pleted in 5 days, p u p a l developm ent in 5 to 7 days, and
the life cycle in 28 to 30 days, in summer. I n w in ter th e tim e from
the entrance of th e fem ale into th e h o st m a teria l to th e appearance
of the first ad u lt offspring m ay be 69 days. T h e w hite, footless larvae
cannot develop if th e m other is rem oved from them . D etails of larval
developm ent are n o t know n because, when a burrow is opened the
fem ale bores deeper, leaving th e young to die.
Linsley ( ^ ) , in his sum m ary o f in fo rm atio n on th e d ate stone
beetle, lists Los A ngeles and In d io , C alif., and L oreto, L ow er C ali
fornia, as infested locations, an d he adds betel n u t, th e seeds of sev
eral o th er palm s, and nutm eg to th e host m aterials previously m en
tioned. I n the Coachella V alley th e w riters found th e d ate stone
beetle in festin g fallen dates n ear In d io fo r th e first tim e in 1932.
Since only w aste dates are attacked in th a t region, no blam e fo r
dam age can be assigned to th e date stone beetle.
E uropean G r a in M oth
T he E u ro p ean g rain m oth {Nemapogon granella ( L .)) was re
corded infesting stored dates a t R ivera, Los A ngeles C ounty, in 1932
by the F resno, C alif., lab o rato ry of th e B ureau of Entom ology and
P la n t Q uarantine. Identification was m ade by H . H . K eifer. T his
instance is a ra re type o f date infestation.
T h is insect, also know n as th e w olf m oth, has a w ing spread of about

% inch. T he w ings are lig h t brow n and th e forew ings are o rn a
m ented w ith irre g u la r spots of d a rk e r brow n.
H a ir y F u n g u s B eetle
T he h a iry fim gus beetle {T yfh a ea stercorea ( L . ) ), a brow n beetle

of the fam ily M ycetophagidae, o r fu n g u s eaters, is common in m oldy
dates ly in g on m oist soil. I t is elongate oval in outline and about
i/io inch long. T he polished su rface of its body is well covered w ith
short, fine hairs. T h is w idely d istrib u ted insect feeds upon a variety
of m oldy vegetable m aterials. T he au th o rs have collected it on
dropped dates in the In d io , Calexico, Y um a, an d P hoenix districts.
In the course of a study of th e flight h ab its of 12 species of dried-
fru it insects, B arnes an d K alo o stian {10) recorded th e cap tu re of
some 39,000 h a iry fungus beetles in a ro ta ry net th a t was o perated in
a raisin storage y ard . T he beetles were taken m ost abu n d an tly in
May. Records of th e ir daily flight h ab its showed them to be p re
dom inantly evening fliers. I n w arm w eather, activ ity began a t su n
set and th e beetles w ere on th e w ing u n til tw ilig h t ended, an ho u r
or m ore later. None were taken in flight when th e tem p eratu re was
lower th a n 64° F .
D etails of th e life h isto ry of th e h a iry fungus beetle were worked
out by George H . K aloostian in 1938, when he was stationed a t Fresno.
H is findings are published here fo r th e first time.
M old spores were th e first food taken by new ly hatched larvae.
Those placed on clean raisin s and w alnuts were unable to develop,
but la rg e r larv ae could do so. R eared on m oldy raisins and w alnuts
in a m oist p la ste r of ^jaris cham ber, th e species developed from egg
to ad u lt in 21 days. T h e incubation period was 3 days, th e larv al
stage 14 days, and th e p u p a l period 4 days.
M it e s i n S t o r ed D a tes
S tored dates sometimes become infested w ith mites, usually a fte r

prolonged storage. T he m ushroom m ite { T y ro fh a g m lintneri (Os-
i)orn)) is a p est of stored dates. T his is a gray-w hite species, widely
d istributed in th e U n ited States.
In festatio n s by storage m ites are sporadic and, generally, uncommon.
F o r these reasons few in v estigators have w orked extensively on th e ir
life histories and m ethods of co ntrolling them . S h ep ard {68) summed
up the storage m ite situ atio n as fo llo w s:
M ites o f various species occur in all cereal products, dried fru its, cheese, dried
m eats, and m any other articles of food. They are common in neglected corners
contam inated w ith m oldy flour, sour milk, and the like.
It m ay sa fely be sa id th at there is no m ore difficult p est to combat. Its sm all
size, rapidity of m ultiplication and developm ent, and peculiar habits fit it for
life in stored food products. Under certain conditions, som e p ass into a resting
stage know n a s the “hypopus.” In th is condition they are covered w ith a hard
crust w hich p revents them from drying out and allow s them to liv e w ith ou t food
for m onths, during vs^hich tim e they m ay be blown about w ith dust or carried
about on m ice or flies. I f at any tim e conditions are favorable, they w ill em erge
from th is peculiar stage and reproduce. A ll the m ites m ay seem to have d is
appeared from a bin th a t w as form erly in fested , but as soon as new m aterial is
stored in it they reappear.
In fested dates should be destroyed and th e area of the building

infested w ith the m ites should be treated Avith a contact sp ray of the
flyspray tyjê, care being taken to avoid d anger of fire, inh alatio n of
the spray, and contam ination of foodstuffs.
R usty G rain B eetle

T he rusty g rain beetle {Laemophloeiis fe rru g in e m (S tep h en s)) is
a slender, flattened, brow n beetle, about 1/12 inch long. I t is closely
related to the saAv-toothed g ra in beetle, w ith w hich it is found asso
ciated as a date pest, bo th in th e field and in storage. I n dates it
usually is less ab u n d an t th a n the saAV-toothed g ra in beetle. B oth are
cosm opolitan insects found in a A-ariety of food m aterials.
Shep]»ird {S9) has contributed details of the life cycle of the rusty
g rain beetle. A t 83° F . th e eggs hatched in about 5 days and the
larA-'ae deAêloped, th ro u g h fo u r m olts, in 32 to 37 days. P u p atio n
lasted 5 days. T he egg-to-adult period ranged from 28 to 53 days,
being influenced by the food proAdded. LarA'ae fed insect eggs, in
cluding those of th e ir oAA’n species, shoAved th e m ost ra p id larval
deAêlopment. H ig h hu m id ity Avas essential.
V inegar F lies
Sm all yelloAV or broAvnish flies of th e genus Drosophila are abundant
in m any kinds of ferm en tin g vegetable m aterials, in cluding sour dates.
They are knoAvn also as pomace flies, from th e ir fondness fo r apple
and grape pomace, and as vinegar gnats. No survey to determ ine the
species th a t breed in dates has been made.
The larvae, or m aggots, of vinegar flies m ay be m istaken fo r the
larvae of n itid u lid beetles, wdiich they resemble in color and size. U n
like the beetle larvae, hoAvever, the fly larvae have n eith er legs nor eyes
and are pointed a t th e head end, Avhich is provided w ith a p a ir of
dark-colored m outh hooks.
A lth o u g h vinegai' flies o rd in a r ily in fe s t o n ly fe rm e n tin g fr u its, if
th e a d u lts becom e v ery ab u n d an t th ey la y eg g s on fr u its in Avhich
y ea st cells h a v e n ot b egu n to m u ltip ly . T h e y becom e m ore num erous
toAvard th e end o f sunniier, a fter t le h o tte st d ays h a v e passed.
In fo rm atio n on the life h isto ry of a common species of vinegar fly.
Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, has been assembled by D itm an, Cory,
and B uddington {28). T he Avhite eggs, too small to be seen by u n
aided eyes, usually are inserted into soft host tissue and hatch, as a
rule, w'ithin 24 hours. T em perature conditions m ost favorable for
egg production are loAver th a n those fo r m ost insects. E g g laying may
begin before th e fem ales are 48 hours old, and some in dividuals lay
more th a n 2,000 eggs.
A t 67° to 77° F., egg production aA'eraged 26 a day, the lifetim e
aA-erage Avas 941 eggs, and th e average length of life o f th e fem ales
Avas 39 days. A t 65°, fem ale flies lived an average o f 71 days, Avhereas
the m ales survived for 43 days.
Good housekee )in g around fruit-processing plants is one of the
practices required to reduce vinegar fly populations. D itm an, Cory,
and B uddington {28) advised that household sprays should not be
em ployed fo r frequent use in a p lan t, because they contain oil that Avill
inipai't an iiiulesirablo odoi' (o fruit. 'I'hey I'eoomnuMided a Ki)ray

containing alcoholic oxti'itct of pyTTthrnni, 1 p a it to 200 p arts of water,
w ith soap added.
W ester n L e a f -F ooted B ug
T he 'western loaf-footed bug {Leptoi/loxKUH zonatuH (D a lla s)) is a

snckine; bug % inch long w ith th rea d lik e antennae extending an ad d i
tional 1/2 inch beyond th e head. T he insect is dull chocolate brow n,
w ith a zigzag yellow band across th e folded forew ings and tw'o yellow
latches jnst behind the head. A p o rtio n of the low'er h a lf of the hin d
egs is expanded into a wide, th in stru ctn re th a t resembles a sm all leaf,
from w hich the species gets its coynnon name.
E ssig {32) recorded th a t in A rizona the w estern leaf-footed bug
])refers pom egranates, but also feeds on green oranges and green and
ripe peaches. In I.K)wer C alifo rn ia dates, limes, and w aterm elons
make up p a rt of its food list.
Q uayle (-Ta) stated th a t the bug breeds chiefly on ]iom egranates,
the eggs being deposited in rows on the tw’igs. F ii’st-stage nym phs
are red and black. In th e Im p erial V alley control has been attain ed
by confining turkeys to eat the bugs as they are ja rre d from th e trees
early in the m orning.
In ju ry to dates in the P hoenix area of A rizona has been reported
in correspondence. C racked pom egranates in a hedge n ear one of
the date gartlens were heavily infested in M ay 1940. Tw’o fru its con
tained 4 adults, 26 large nym phs, and 72 small nym phs.
.Vccording to Catfrey (^ ^ ), the nym phs of the w estern leaf-footed
bug m ay be controlled by sp ray in g t lem w ith 40-percent nicotine
sulfate, 1 p a rt to 500 p a rts of w ater, w ith enough soap added to give
the m ixture a foam y appearance. ^
CONTROL OF INSECTS ON DATES IN STORAGE

F u m ig atio n
The chem ical now in general use fo r fu m ig atin g dates is m ethyl

brom ide, a liquid boiling a t 40.1° F ., producing a gas th a t is about 3.3
times as heavy as air. A n u n d erstan d in g of the p roperties of m ethyl
bromide, of the equipm ent needed fo r its effective application, and
of tlie precautions th a t m ust be taken a t all times to insure the safe use
of this effective insect k iller is so im p o rtan t fo r those in charge of the
fum igation of dates th a t the follow ing recom m endations are quoted
from literature.
'W alker and M itchell {68) included the follow ing recom m endations:
F um igation o f a ll frxiit as it enters the packing house arrests in festa tio n s that
com m only occur in th e gardens, and helps to prevent a high in sect population
w ithin the house. . . . H ouses of m oderate size and tight construction may
periodically be given a com plete fum igation a t sm all cost and w ith very beneficial
results. Complete p lant fum igation is harder to achieve in the larger house,
but here the separate rooms used for m aturation, drying, or fru it storage at
room tem perature should be fum igated at frequent intervals. Cull dates should
not be stored in rooms w here good fru it is handled.
It is virtu ally im possible to m aintain a packing house entirely free of insects,
so the opportunity for reinfestation of fru it is ever present. A thorough fum i
gation a fter the fru it has been packed for shipm ent is good insurance against
deterioration w hile it is on its w ay to the consumer.
A rm itag e and Steinw eden (^) stated th a t a dosage ra te of 1 pound

of m ethyl brom ide p er 1,000 cubic feet should be used, w ith an ex
posure of 24 hours. T em peratures should be above 60° F . F u m ig a
tion should be followed by adequate airin g , an d th e dates should be
protected from reinfestation. T hey recom m ended th a t th e fu m ig a
tion cham ber should be—■
1. Located to conform w ith requirem ents of th e S tate In d u strial Accident
Commission. Under no circum stances should the fum igation chamber be located
w ith in a closed room. The gas should not be used w here confined workers
w ill be exposed to residual m ethyl bromide vapors.
2. Constructed in the proper m anner w hich perm its a m inim um of leakage. A
slatted floor is advisable to fa cilita te circulation.
3. Equipped w ith proper accessories for ..measuring- the fum igan t and allow ing
it to be applied from outside the chamber into a sh allow pan located at the top
of the chamber.
4. Equipped w ith proper fan s to circulate the fum igant and to a ssist in its
rem oval a t the end o f the cycle.
5. Equipped w ith nonglow heaters to perm it tem perature control if fum igation
is attem pted when the atm ospheric tem perature is below 60° F.
6. Insulated to avoid tem perature fluctuation.
7. Equipped w ith a therm om eter w hich can be read from outside the chamber.
Caution.— The follow ing precautions should be taken (Dean and
Cotton 27):
A ll persons using m ethyl brom ide as a fum igant and all persons engaged
in unloading or rem oving fum igated materials from cars, sheds, or rooms
in w hich com modities have been fumigated should be warned o f the toxic
properties o f m ethyl bromide. T he dangers from inhaling the gas and the
absence of odor should be stressed. A lthough m ethyl bromide is less toxic
to man than certain other fumigants, all persons fum igating w ith methyl
bromide or mixtures containing m ethyl bromide, or persons entering fum i
gated rooms, cars, or sheds to open ventilators or to unload fumigated mate
rials, should observe the same precautions as w ith other fum igating gases.
T he follow in g precautionary measures are recommended in the use of methyl
bromide as a fumigant:
1. A void breathing air containing m ethyl bromide by wearing a gas mask
at all times w hen handling it outside of the original container.
2. Provide in advance for thorough ventilation o f cars, rooms, or buildings
after fum igation and before anyone enters them.
3. W hen necessary to enter spaces containing m ethyl bromide, use a gas
mask provided w ith a canister givin g protection against organic vapors, or a
positive pressure-hose mask. (Masks and canisters to be approved under U. S.
Bureau of Mines Schedules 14D or 19A. Canisters to be black, type B.
W orkers should be provided w ith these approved masks for use w hen neces
sary in handling this fum igant or com modities that have been fumigated
w ith it. A ll mask canisters have a lim ited life period. For this reason special
precautions should always be taken to see that masks are fitted w ith fresh or
fully effective canisters.)
4. A void spilling m ethyl bromide. G o into the fresh air immediately in
case of spillage. Rem ove any clothing w hich has becom e impregnated with
the liquid.
5. Post signs warning that m ethyl bromide is being used and that the gas
is poisonous.
6. Store containers o f m ethyl bromide in a cool, w ell-ventilated place, w ell
removed from any buildings in w hich people work or live. A void leakage
by seeing that valves on cylinders are tightly closed.
WTiere w alk-in fu m igation rooms are not available, sm all fum igation
units m ay be successfully used. B arg er (9) described such inexpen
sive equipm ent, and suggested th a t a liq u id fu m ig an t consisting of
three p a rts of ethylene dichloride and one j)art of carbon tetrach lo rid e
be applied as a fum igant. These chemicals can be obtained in small
quantities.
L ow T em peratures
T he differences in d ate varieties an d th e norm al wide ran g e in th e

physical and chem ical condition of harvested fru its w ith in th e v a ri
eties combine to m ake u n certain th e use of extrem es of tem p eratu re
fo r k illin g insects in dates. W ith reference to cold, A lb ert and H ilge-
m an (1) pointed out th e p ro b ab ility th a t “ diflerent types of dates can
not be stored to best advantage u n d er th e same tem p eratu re and
hum idity conditions.”
Pow ers {o4) recom m ended th a t soft dates be k ep t in cold storage
at 32° F . or lower.
Insect species th a t in fest stored dates v ary considerably in th e ir
resistance to low tem p eratu res, b u t in festatio n already p resent cannot
develop, nor can new in festatio n take place, a t 40° F . or below. Ke-
search carried on at F resno has provided some basic d ata on the k illing
etfect of several tem p eratu res on a num ber of d rie d -fru it insects.® I n
p art, the results are given in tab le 5.
T a b le 5.— E ffect o f cold storage on certain d ried-fru it insects
Tem per D ura

Species, and stage M ortality
ature tion
op Days
30-34 100 Incom plete.
32 188 T otal.
Raisin m oth larvae____________
36-37 115 Incom plete.
40 188 D o.
0 Total.
Indian-m eal m oth larvae______ 30-34 28 D o.
36-37 50 D o.
32 10 Incom plete.
Saw -toothed grain b eetle larvae 32 15 Total.
36 20 D o.
4 -6 /s D o.
D ried-fruit b eetle la rv a e______ 7-12 1 D o.
32 7 D o.
0 D o.
Saw -toothed grain b eetle adults 30-34 27 D o.
36-37 38 D o.
Indian-m eal m oth a d u lts__ 32 3 D o.
7 -1 0 1 D o.
Indian-m eal m oth eggs________ 32-33 11 D o.
Raisin m oth eggs______________ 32 5 Incom plete.
T he records given in tab le 5 show th a t some insects m ay survive

fo r considerable periods a t freezing tem perature. U nless a tem pera
tu re considerably below 32° F . is used fo r a p a rt of th e storage period,
dates taken from a freezing tem p eratu re m ay need to be fum igated
upon removal.
* From records obtained by Charles K. F isher, Bureau of Entom ology and P lan t
Quarantine, at Fresno, C alif.
LITERATURE CITED
(1 ) A lbert, D. W., and H
i l g e m a n , R. H.
1935. DATE GROWING IN ARIZONA. xVi'iz. Agr. Expt. Sta. BuL 149, pp.
231-286, illus.
( 2 ) A r m i t a g e , H. M., a n d S t e i n w e d e n , J o h n B.
1945. T H E f u m i g a t i o n o f CALIFORNIA DATES W IT H M ETHYL BROMIDE.
C alif. D ept. Agr. BuL 34, pp. 101-107, illus.
(3) B a c k , E. A., a n d C o t t o n , R. T.
1926. BIOLOGY o f t h e SAW-TOOTHED GRAIN BEETLE, ORYZAEPHILUS SURI-
N A M EN SIS L iN N î. Jour. Agr. Res. 3 3 : 435-452, illus.
(4) B a l a o h o w s k y , A.
1925. NOTE SUR DEUX PR^DATEUES DU PARLATORIA BLANCHAEDI TAEG. ET
SUR LEUE U TILISATIO N EN VUE DE LA LUTTE BIOLOGIQUE CONTRE
CE c o c c iD E . See. d ’H ist. de I’Afrfl du Xord. Bui. 1 6 :
167-172, illus.
(5)
1926. NOTE SUR l ’ACCLIMATATION DES PE^DATEURS DU PARLATORIA BLAN-
CHARDI TARG. DANS LA PALM EEAIE DE COLOMB-BECHAE, EN VUE DE
LA LUTTE BIOLOGIQUE CONTEE CES COCCIDES. SOC. d ’H ist. N at. de
I’Afr. du Nord. Bui. 17 : 93-96.
(0 ) ------
1932. ETUDE BIOLOGIQUE DES COCCIDES DU BASSIN OCCIDENTAL DE LA
m e d i t e e r a n £ e n >. 285 pp., illus. Paris.
(7 ) B alzer, A u g u st I .
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(17)
1930. PROGRESS OF PARLATORIA DATE SCALE ERADICATION. D ate Growers’
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(18)
1931. EEPORT OF PROGRESS : DATE SCALE ERADICATION. D a te G rowers’ Inst.
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(19)
1932. EEPOET OF PROGRESS : DATE SCALE ERADICATION. D a te Growers’ Inst.
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(2 0 )
1933. EEPOET OF PROGRESS: DATE SCALE ERADICATION. D ate G rowers’ Inst.
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(35) ---
1942. PHOENICOCOCCUS MARLATTI (COCKERELL). ATLAS OF TH E SCALE I N
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.
1947. LES i n s e c t e s d e s p a l m i e r s . 903 pp., illus. Paris.
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1948. i n s e c t i n f e s t a t i o n o f d a t e s , i t s c o n t r o l a n d r e l a t i o n TO FUNGUS
sp o ila g e . D ate Growers’ Inst. Rpt. 2 5 : 12-17.
(4 3 ) L i n s l e y , E . G okton
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Bcon. Ent. 36 : 804-805, illus.
( 4 4 ) M cG begor , E . A .
1939. T H E SPECIFIC IDENTITY OP T H E AMERICAN DATE M ITE ; DESCRIPTION OF
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1939. t h e g i a n t p a l m b o r e r ( c OLEOPTERA, BOSTRICHIDAE) , AN ECONOMIC
p e s t IN LOWER CALIFORNIA. Calif. Dept. Agr. Bul. pp. 166-169,
illus.
(4 6 ) M o r r i l l , A . W ., J r.
1942. n o t e s o n t h e b io l o g y o p m ic r o b r a c o n h e b e t o h . Jour. Econ. Ent.
85: 593-594.
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SC3RIPTION. Jour. Agr. Res. 21; 669^676, illus.
(48), M ote , D on C.
1922. OF ARIZONA CONDITIONS. Calif. D ept. Agr., M onthly Bul. 11,
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( 5 0 ) N ic h o l , a . a .
1935. A STUDY OF the FIG BEETLE, COTINIS TEXANA CASEY. AriZ. Agr. Expt,
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(5 1 ) N ix o n , R oy W .
1945. DATE CULTURE IN T H E UNITED STATES. U. S. D ept. Agr. Cir. 728,
44 pp., illus.
(52) P e m b e r t o n , C. E., and W i l l i a m s , F. X.
1938. s o m e i n s e c t s a n d o t h e r a n i m a l pests in Haw a ii not under
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211-230.
(5 3 ) P ow ell, D w ig h t
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(b e t h y l i d a e : hym en o ptera ) p a r a s it ic on the sa w to o th ed
GRAIN BEETLE.Ent. Soc. Amer. Ann. 31: 4 4 ^ 9 . illus.
(54) P o w e r s , H. B.
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(55) Q u a y l e , H. j .
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(56) R a o , S a h i b Y., R a o , R a m a c h a n d r a , and D u t t , A.
1922. t h e PESTS o p t h e d a t e p a l m i n t h e ’IRAQ w' i t h s u p p l e m e n t a r y
note. M esopotam ia Dept. Agr. Mem. No. 6, 21 pp., illus.
(57) S c h m i d t , C a r l T h e o d o r
1935. b i o l o g ic a l s t u d i e s o n t h e n i t i d u l i d b e e t l e s f o u n d i n p i n e a p p l e
f i e l d s . Ent. Soc. Amer. Ann. 28 : 475-511, illus.
(5 8 ) S h epard, H arold H.
1936. in s e c t s in f e s t in g stoeeh ) f o o d s . Minn. Agr. E xpt. Sta. Bul. 341,
42 pp., illus.
(59) S h e p p a r d , E l w o o d H.
1936. n o t e s o n c r y p t o l e s t e s f e r r u g i n e u s s t e p h ., a c u c u j i d o c c u r r in g
IN T H E TRICHOGRAMMA M IN U T U M PARASITE LABORATORY OF COLO
RADO s t a t e COLLEGE. Colo. State Col. Tech. Bul. 17, 20 pp.
(60) S i m m o n s , P e r e z , R e e d , W. D., and M c G r e g o r , E. A.
1931. f i g i n s e c t s i n Ca l i f o r n i a . U. S. Dept. Agr. Cir. 157, 71 pp., illus.
(61) S t i c k n e y , F. s.
1924. d a t e p a l m i n s e c t s . D ate Growers’ Inst. Rpt. 1 : 16-17.
(62)
1934. T H E EXTERNAL ANATOMY OF T H E RED DATE SCALE, PHOENICOCOCCUS
m a r l a t t i COCKERELL, AND IT S ALLIES. U. S. Dept. Agr. Tech.
Bul. 404, 162 pp., illus.
(0 8 ) S t ic k n e y , F . s .
1934. THE EXTERNAL ANATOMY OF THE PAUI.ATOlUA DATE SOAI.E, PABT>A-
TOKIA 1)1,AN('HAH1)I TARGIONI-TOZZETTI, WITH STUDIES OK THE HEAD
SKELETON AND ASSOCIATED PARTS. U. S. D o p t. A g f. T c c h . B ill. 421,
07 pp., illllS.
(0 4 ) Sw E Z E Y , O. H.
1942. MISCELT^VNEOUS FAMILIES OF GRAIN COLI'.OPTKEA. Ill I ii SOcI h o f G lllim .
1?. P . B ish o i) M us. B ill. 172, pp. 1 50-171, illiis.
(65) T aegioni T ozzeiti, A.
1892. AONIDIA RV.ANCHABDI, N0U\'EL1.E EvSI'kCE DE ('OCHENILLE DU DATTTEB DU
SAHAiu. Sue. Zool. do F n in c t', M ^ni. 5 : 0 9 -8 2 , ilh is .
(66) T o u m e y , J . W .
1895. N0Ti;s ON s c a l e i n s e c t s in a k iz o n a . A riz . A g r. K x p t. S ta . B u i. 14,
pp. 27-50.
(67) V a n D e b M e k w e , C. P .
1923. t h e I>ESTRUCTU)N of VKGHri'AHUC IVORY HUTTONS. THB RAVAGES OF THE
“ button b e c tle " ( cw ' cotuypes dA( iylipeiud a f .) an d sumncHTioNs
FOR it s control . U iiio n o f So. A fric ii D e p (. A g r., 4 p p . P r e t o r ia .
(0 5 ) W’ALKEit, J a c k , ( u u i M i t c h e i .l , L). H .
1944. t h e f u m ig a t io n of dates D a te ( J r o w e r s ’ I n s t. U p t. 21 : 4 -0 .
U. s. GOVERN MEN T PRINTING O F F I C E : 195 0
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government PrlDting Office

W ashington 26, D. C. ■ price 25 cents
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Date Palm Insects in The United States

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Date Palm Insects in The United States

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Circular No.

Date Palm Insects in the

by FENNER S, STICKNEY, D W IG H T F. BARNES

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Circular No. 846

Date Palm Insects in the United States

^T h e generous, long-continued cooperation by date growers and date packing­

Larviio of insects th a t have th is type of fiTowtli often are referi'ed to

MAJOR INSECT PESTS INFESTING DATE PALMS AND

P arlatoria D ate S cale

T he p a rla to ria date scale is capable of spreading over all surfaces

Figure 1.— Parlatoria date scale infesting dates.

collar (fig. 2 ). A_closely spaced succession of overlapping leaf bases

likewise protected, and even when the stub of a cut-off leafstalk a p ­

show a heavy infestation above the iiber. Consequently such palm s

T he eggs and first-stage nym phs are deep p in k or b rig h t re d ; in

liiitoluHl nymph.s reinaiiuHl uiulor the covering of tlie inotlier, but

FOOD PLANTS AND DISTRIBUTION

So fa r as is known, no n a tu ra l enemies of the p a rla to ria date scale

to prevent th e increase of th e insect. A la d y b ird beetle, GMlocorus

tlie discolored tissue sometimes extended th ro u g h th e ir bases. The

O n th e whole, th e degree of dam age still m ay be an open question.

s'prini)', and was at a inaxinuuii duving late si)i'iii<>' and sununer. T he

TA15LE 1 .— lAfe cycle rccordx of female, red date scales

A pproxim ate period as—

D ate nym phal pro­ Length

O th er life cycles, which began on December 14, J a n u a ry 23, and

T he m axim um len g th of life of a fertilized fem ale liv in g on a

T he h atch in g process requires 9 to 35 m inutes. A fte r breaking

FOOD PLANTS AND DISTRIBUTION

T he red date scale occurs chiefly on p la n ts of th e palm genus

L ea f bases and fiber b ands afford excellent protection to red date

of g reatest abundance was in a b an d about 1 % feet wide around th e

T he senior au th o r was unable to m ake a sufficiently extensive survey

T h e red date scale spi'eads by the same means as those outlined

No in te rn a l parasites and b u t few p red ato rs of the red date scale

S everal treatm en ts fo r control of th e red date scale have been tried,

Tetranychus sim flex fro m date palm s a t E l C entro, C alif. I n 1922

T he d ate m ite rasps th e surface of th e host tissue, destroying the

I n all nym phal stages th e d ate m ite is ro b u st in form , pale yellow

season, infestation s begin from m id -A p ril to as late as th e first of

Figure 6.— D ate mite, adult female. From M cGregor (44).

w ith the apex fastened around f r u it th re a d s and th e larg e end left

T h e records presented in tab le 2 indicate th a t life cycles are re ­

T he eggs of the date m ite are scattered beneath and in th e webbing,

m um tem peratures w ere 68° an d 45°, 56 percent o f 25 m ites in both

FOOD PLANTS AND DISTRIBUTION

Tlie date m ite assumes added significance because th e f r u it of the

P hoenix, A i-iz.; C an ary Isla n d palm a t In d io , Im p erial, an d E l Cajon,

A dults and nym phs of th e six-spotted th rip s {Scolothrifs sexmac-

cum bed read ily to su lfu r dust. T h e eggs ap p eared to be unaffected,

T he datebug {Asarcojms palmarum H o rv .) (fig. 7 ), was described

Figure 7.— Datebugs: A , Nym ph; B, adult.

T he datebug concentrates on the w hite tissue behind th e fiber, be­

Figure 8.— Datebugs on new grow th of date palm.

term inal leaves of an offshoot w eighing only 2 pounds. H ealth y

term in al leaves droop because of heavy in festatio n on th e ir slender,

T h e oval, flattened datebug nym phs, w hich h atch from pearly

LIFE HISTORY AND HABITS

T he datebug is active in all stages th ro u g h o u t th e year. E ggs are

FOOD PLANTS AND DISTRIBUTION

T h e date palm , a closely related species, Phoenix roebelini O ’B rien,

a 1.5-percent stable oil emulsion. To each of th e nicotine sp ray s soap

^T h e generous, long-continued cooperation by date growers and date packing

likewise protected, and even when the stub of a cut-off leafstalk a p

D ate nym phal pro Length

T h e records presented in tab le 2 indicate th a t life cycles are re

T he datebug concentrates on the w hite tissue behind th e fiber, be

L ike th e pineapple beetle, th e d rie d -fru it beetle has a sh o rt develop

T he Indian-m eal m oth {Plodia interfunctella (H b n .)) is w orld

B ack an d C otton (S) recorded th a t in th e ir observations on th e saw

Tem per D ura