#365Insects 20: #Cryptochaetum iceryae (Williston, 1888)
Cryptochaetum iceryae is native to Australia, but now also found in California. Unlike many non-native Californian insects however, we brought it there on purpose, specifically to fight another non-native species, the Cushiony Cotton Scale (an invasive species in the traditional sense that is a pest of citrus crops). This fly is one of the earliest examples of classical biological control in North America, having been introduced way back in 1888 (which incidentally lead to it being described), and, along with a beetle that was also brought over, successfully controlled Cushiony Cotton Scale populations within a few years of being introduced.
