[K]The author has not been able to find the original description of Gennadius, which appears to have been contained in a report to the Minister for Agriculture in Greece. Dr. Signoret states that there is a reference to it in "Risso, Histoire Naturelle des Oranges," Vol. I., p. 220.
[K]The author has not been able to find the original description of Gennadius, which appears to have been contained in a report to the Minister for Agriculture in Greece. Dr. Signoret states that there is a reference to it in "Risso, Histoire Naturelle des Oranges," Vol. I., p. 220.
Female puparium really dirty-white, but seeming yellowish-brown, from the colour of the insect beneath; sometimes dark-brown; circular, flat; diameter, about1/11in.
Male puparium much smaller, rather oval.
Adult female yellow, becoming brown at last; peg-top shaped, but the abdominal segment is comparatively so small and is so much overlapped by the others that the insect looks almost globular; length, about1/15in. Abdomen ending in six lobes (of which the two median are the largest), and several scaly hairs. No groups of spinnerets.
Adult male very small, brown or yellow in colour. The antennæ have ten joints: the two first joints are very small, round, and smooth; the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth equal in length; the seventh, eighth, and ninth half as long; the tenth somewhat shorter still, and pointed. All the last eight joints show numerous hairs. The thorax is short and thick, the thoracic band occupying more than one-half the width; the abdomen short, the double spike of some length. The wings are oval, about as long as the body. The legs are hairy, femora thick, tibiæ longer, thicker at the end next the tarsus than at the other end; tarsi broad at the top, tapering gradually down to the usual single claw. The hairs on the femora are much fewer than those on the tibiæ and tarsi.
Habitat—On oranges and lemons in shops, very abundant, often several hundreds on a single fruit; on orange- and lemon-trees, Governor's Bay, Canterbury; and Auckland.
This insect is European, and has been introduced here from Australia. It is exceedingly destructive to orange and lemon groves in America and Australia. Mr. Comstock (Report of the Entomologist, U.S. Dep. of Agric., 1881, p. 295) records an instance where a grove of thirty-three acres, which in 1872 produced a rental of £1,800, could fetch in 1878 only £120, on account of the ravages of this insect.
Orange- and lemon-growers in the north of New Zealand should beware of this pest. It is scarcely likely that it should be harmless here when it is so destructive elsewhere.
The remedies most likely to be efficacious have been mentioned in the introductory chapters of this work.
6.Aspidiotus dysoxyli, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 198.
Female puparium circular, somewhat convex, brown in colour; diameter, about1/15in.
Male puparium smaller, oval, brown.
Adult female bright-yellow, corrugated, the corrugations overlapping the abdominal region, which is comparatively small. There are four groups of spinnerets, the upper pair with ten openings, the lower with nine, many scattered oval and oblong spinnerets. The abdomen ends in six lobes, of which only the two median are conspicuous; between the lobes fine serrated hairs. The abdomen is very velvety.
Adult male unknown.
Habitat—OnDysoxylon spectabile, Wellington.
Allied toA. atherospermæ, but differing in the abdominal lobes and spinnerets.
7.Aspidiotus epidendri, Bouché.
Chermes epidendri, Boisduval; Ent. Hort., 1867, p. 339.
Aspidiotus epidendri, Signoret, loc. cit., 1869, p. 121.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 197.
Female puparium circular, flat, dirty-white or brownish; diameter, about1/12in.
Male puparium elongated, the sides parallel.
Adult female greenish yellow, peg-top shaped. Abdomen ending in several lobes, of which only the two median are conspicuous; between the lobes several serrated scaly hairs, and some spines. Four groups of spinnerets: upper groups, eight to ten orifices; lower groups, six to eight: many single spinnerets.
Adult male somewhat long, yellowish in colour; antennæ of ten joints; feet having somewhat thick femora, the tibiæ and tarsi slender; all the joints hairy. The abdominal spike, or sheath of the penis, is rather long, and the tubercle at its base is large.
Habitat—On palms and orchids in hothouses,passim; on wattle, rarely, Christchurch.
This is a European insect, affecting hothouse plants, and scarcely likely to do damage out-of-doors. It is closely allied toA. nerii.
8.Aspidiotus nerii, Bouché; Schadl. Gart. Ins., 1833, 52.
Diaspis Bouchei, Targioni-Tozzetti; "Studie sulle Coccineglie," 1867.
Aspidiotus Bouchei, Targioni; Catal., 1868, 45, 1.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XIV., 1881, p. 217.
(Plate IV., Fig. 4.)
Female puparium circular, flat, white or greyish; diameter, about1/12in.
Male puparium oval, white; about1/25in. in length.
Adult female yellow, peg-top shaped, but almost globular. Abdomen ending in six lobes, of which the two median are the largest. Between and a little beyond the lobes are a number of scaly serrated hairs, some of which exhibit serrated extremities;also some scaly but smooth hairs. There are also a few spines. Four groups of spinnerets, which are surrounded (according to Mr. Comstock, Entom. Report, U.S. Dep. of Agric., 1880,Plate XV., Fig. 1) by a fine line, as if enclosed in a sac. Many single spinnerets.
In the larva the abdomen ends in four lobes, of which the two median are somewhat prominent.
Adult male yellow or brownish; antennæ of ten joints, each with several hairs; feet having the femora somewhat thick, the tibiæ and tarsi flat and slender, the former a little expanded at the extremity.
Habitat—OnCoprosma lucidaandCorynocarpus lævigata(Karaka), Wellington.
A species introduced from Europe, where its favourite habitat isNerium oleander; but it is found on many other plants, and is, according to Dr. Signoret, "the commonest of all the species of this genus." It has not yet spread widely in New Zealand.
9.Aspidiotus sophoræ, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVI., 1883, p. 121.
Female puparium nearly circular, flat, bluish-grey; diameter, about1/24in.
Male puparium oval; length, about1/36in.
Adult female of the usual peg-top shape, greenish-yellow in colour; abdomen ending in two conspicuous median lobes, with a number of scaly serrated hairs, as inA. nerii. Five groups of spinnerets: uppermost group with four orifices; the remainder, seven or eight. Some specimens show only four groups.
Adult male unknown.
Habitat—OnSophora tetraptera(Kowhai), Port Hills, Canterbury.
Only a few species of Aspidiotus are reported with five groups of spinnerets. The present insect differs from all of them in the scaly serrated hairs of the abdomen; none of the others has more than a few spines.
Genus:DIASPIS, Costa.
Female puparium more or less, but never quite, circular; sometimes flat, but more usually convex; pellicles more or less marginal.
Male puparium elongated, the pellicle at one end; a longitudinal carina, or keel, appears in the middle.
Groups of spinnerets, five.
Mr. Comstock (Entom. Rep., Cornell Univ., 1883, p. 85) remarks that, when the pellicles of the female of this genus are marginal, it might be difficult to distinguish it from Chionaspis, as the male puparia are alike in both. As regards the species observed hitherto in New Zealand this difficulty has not occurred.
10.Diaspis Boisduvalii, Signoret; Ann. de la Soc. Entom. de France, 1868, p. 433.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 200; Vol. XVII., 1884, p. 23.
(Plate IV., Fig. 5.)
Female puparium oval, nearly circular, flattish; colour, yellowish-grey; diameter, about1/12in.
Male puparium elongated, white, with a strong median keel, and with the edges raised so as to appear like two other keels; length, about1/20in. The male puparia frequently occur massed in great numbers, and covered with white hairs and fluff.
Adult female rather elongated, oval, or somewhat pear-shaped; the body corrugated, the cephalic portion smooth. At each side, on a level with the rostrum, or a little above it, is a protruding lobe, which is characteristic. Colour, light-yellow. Abdomen ending in two lobes, not prominent, and with a depression between them; beyond the lobes are many serrations, with small lobelike projections and spiny hairs. Five groups of spinnerets: uppermost group with five to eight orifices[L]; the two upper side groups with twenty to twenty-five; lower side groups, fifteen to twenty. A few scattered single spinnerets.
[L]Mr. Comstock (Entom. Rep., Cornell Univ., 1883, p. 87) gives eight to fifteen orifices for the uppermost group.
[L]Mr. Comstock (Entom. Rep., Cornell Univ., 1883, p. 87) gives eight to fifteen orifices for the uppermost group.
Adult male very small, about1/40in. in length; colour, reddish-yellow; antennæ of ten joints, all with hairs except the two first; femora and tibiæ slender, tarsi thick at the base, and tapering to the claw; digitules, fine hairs. The first and second pair of legs appear somewhat widely separated, owing to the length of the coxæ.
Habitat—On several hothouse plants, Christchurch and Wellington; and on wattle in gardens, Wellington.
A European insect. The curious projections at the side,near the head, of the female, and the arrangement of the male puparia above mentioned, sufficiently distinguish this species.
11.Diaspis rosæ, Sandberg.
Aspidiotus rosæ, Sandberg; Abhand., priv. Boh., No. 6, p. 317.
Diaspis rosæ, Signoret, loc. cit., 1869, p. 441.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 201.
(Plate IV., Fig. 6.)
Female puparium nearly circular, white, often aggregated in masses; diameter, about1/12in. Pellicles, marginal.
Male puparium white, elongated, carinated; length, about1/20in.
Adult female deep-red in colour, elongated, the body deeply segmented. Cephalic region very large, smooth. On each segment of the body several spiny hairs. Abdomen ending in two conspicuous lobes with a depression between them, and some spiny hairs. Five groups of spinnerets, but the lateral groups are almost continuous; uppermost group with about twenty orifices; in the lateral groups, fifty to sixty orifices. No single spinnerets.
Adult male orange-red in colour; antennæ ten-jointed, with several hairs on all but the first two joints; feet slender, hairy; digitules, fine hairs. The spike is somewhat long.
Habitat—On rose-trees, Governor's Bay, Canterbury-Napier.
A European species, stated by Mr. Comstock to attack, in America, blackberries and raspberries, besides the rose.
The deep-red colour and abnormally-large cephalic segment of this insect distinguish it from all others.
12.Diaspis santali, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVI., 1883, p. 122.
(Plate IV., Fig. 7.)
Female puparium yellowish-grey in colour, sometimes with a greenish tinge; outline oval; very convex; pellicles at one end, black, inconspicuous; length of puparium, about1/15in.
Male puparium white, elongated, carinated; pellicle, black; length, about1/25in.
Adult female orange-red in colour, peg-top shaped; the abdominal segment very small as compared with the rest of the body, and the two next segments overlap it. Abdomen ending in two conspicuous, prominent, median lobes, and at each side of them two semi-circular depressions: several branched and serrated hairs in the region of these lobes. There are no groups of spinnerets. There is no wide depression of the edge between the median lobes.
Adult male unknown.
Habitat—OnSantalum cunninghamii(Maire), Te Aute, Hawke's Bay; and on pear, plum, and other fruit-trees at Whangarei, having probably spread from native plants.
The carinated male puparium distinguishes this species from Aspidiotus. The absence of spinnerets is curious.
Genus:MYTILASPIS, Targioni-Tozzetti.
Female and male puparia similar, or nearly similar, in shape, but the male puparium is smaller. Puparia elongated, generally more or less mussel-shaped or pyriform, usually convex, more or less curved; pellicles at one end. Male puparia not carinated. Five groups of spinnerets in the female, but the groups are sometimes continuous.
13.Mytilaspis cordylinidis, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 195.
(Plate V., Fig. 1.)
Female puparium pure white, elongated, very narrow; usually straight, sometimes curved; pellicles yellow, at one end; length, about1/8in.; breadth, about1/30in.
Male puparium similar to that of the female, but much smaller; length, about1/20in.
Adult female pale yellow in colour, elongated, distinctly segmented. Rudimentary antennæ on the cephalic segment. A few fine hairs at the edges of the segments. Abdomen ending in two lobes with a small median depression; several serrated scaly hairs, and a few spines. Five groups of spinnerets: uppermost groups, seven or eight orifices; upper lateral group, fourteen to twenty; lower lateral group, twenty to twenty-five. A great number of single spinnerets.
Adult male doubtful; very minute and difficult to detect. Antennæ apparently short and tibiæ large.
Habitat—OnCordyline australisandC. indivisa,Phormium,Gahnia,Astelia,Eucalyptus, &c., throughout the islands; but the chief habitat seems to beC. australis(the common cabbage-tree), on which it is often very abundant.
This species may at first sight be mistaken forFiorinia stricta, described below, which also infests Cordyline and Phormium; but, on inspection, it will be seen that the puparium of the Mytilaspis is much whiter, and the pellicles yellow, those ofF. strictabeing black. An examination of the second pellicles of the two species will, of course, at once distinguish them.
14.Mytilaspis drimydis, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 196.
(Plate V., Fig. 3.)
Female puparium elongated, often straight, sometimes curved; colour, dirty-white or brown; pellicles at one end; length, about1/12in.
Male puparium similar, but smaller.
Adult female dull-red in colour, elongated, not very distinctly segmented. Abdomen ending in a number of small lobes, of which the four median are the largest; several fine hairs between the lobes; no groups of spinnerets, but a very great number of single ones, which are scattered on the segments as far up as the rostrum. Many of these protrude as short thick tubes with serrated or fringed extremities. On the cephalic segment are a few spiny hairs and two rudimentary antennæ.
Adult male red in colour; antennæ of ten joints; tarsi somewhat large. Both antennæ and feet have numerous hairs. Digitules, fine.
Habitat—OnDrimys colorata, Water of Leith, Dunedin, from which it has spread to other native plants.
15.Mytilaspis epiphytidis, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVII., 1884, p. 21.
(Plate V., Fig. 2.)
Female puparium flat, pyriform, brown in colour, thin; length, about1/11in.
Male puparium narrower than that of the female, and a good deal darker, being sometimes almost black; length, about1/20in.; not carinated.
Adult female dark-grey in colour, elongated, segmented. Abdomen ending in two median lobes; along the edge several deepish curvilinear incisions, between which are some strong spines. Five groups of spinnerets: lower pair with fourteen to sixteen orifices; upper pair, twelve to sixteen; uppermost group, four to six.
Adult male unknown.
Habitat—OnAstelia cunninghamii, Wellington.
16.Mytilaspis leptospermi, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XIV., 1881, p. 215.
(Plate V., Fig. 4.)
Female puparium flat, elongated, irregularly pyriform, light-brown in colour; length, about1/12in. The secretion forming the puparium is mixed with bark-cells of the tree, arranged longitudinally.
Male puparium narrower than that of the female, and darker in colour.
Adult female greyish-green, elongated, segmented; abdomen ending in six lobes, of which the two median are conspicuous and somewhat large and floriated, the rest very small. Five groups of spinnerets: the upper group with about fifteen openings; the others with from twenty-five to thirty-five. Single spinnerets none, or very few.
Adult male unknown.
Habitat—OnLeptospermum scoparium(manuka), Wellington; Canterbury; Auckland. The puparia are often numerous on the loose scaly bark of the tree.
17.Mytilaspis metrosideri, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XII., 1879, p. 293.
Female puparium white, pyriform. Female in all stages dark-coloured; in last stage nearly black. General outline resemblingM. drimydis, but the abdomen is much sharper and more pointed, with a finely-serrated edge, ending in three minute, pointed lobes, joined by a scaly process. Spinnerets in an almost continuous arch, which may be resolved into fivegroups; seventy or eighty openings; several single spinnerets. The rudimentary antennæ can be made out.
The young female has an elongated oval outline, little corrugated. The feet, digitules, antennæ, &c., resemble those ofM. pomorum. The abdomen is like that of the adult, without the groups of spinnerets.
Male unknown, but puparium smaller and rather darker in colour than that of the female.
Habitat—OnMetrosideros robusta(rata), Wellington, and probably elsewhere. It is not common.
18.Mytilaspis phymatodidis, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XII., 1879, p. 292.
Female puparium flattish, pyriform, dirty-white or brownish; length, about1/12in.
Male puparium similar, brown.
Adult female greyish, elongated, segmented. Rudimentary antennæ visible. Abdomen ending in two lobes with a median depression: several scaly and serrated processes, and some spiny hairs. Five groups of spinnerets: uppermost group, six to nine orifices; upper side groups, ten to fourteen; lower pair, fifteen to twenty: several single spinnerets.
Male unknown.
Habitat—OnPhymatodes billardieri, Wellington; Auckland.
In outward appearance the female resemblesM. pomorum, but the puparium is quite different, and the abdominal characters also differ.
19.Mytilaspis pomorum, Bouché.
Aspidiotus pomorum, Bouché; Ent. Zeit. Stett., 1851, XII., No. 1.
Aspidiotus conchiformis,auctorum;necGmelin, Syst. Nat., 2,221.
Aspidiotus pyrus-malus, Kennicott; 1854, Acad. Science of Cleveland.
Aspidiotus juglandis, Fitch; Ann. Rep., N.Y. State Ag. Soc., 1856;necSignoret, loc. cit., 1870, p. 95.
Aspidiotus falciformis, Bärensprung; Journ. d'Alton et Burm., 1849.
Mytilaspis pomicorticis, Riley; Fifth Rep. State Entom., Missouri, p. 95.
Mytilaspis pomorum(Bouché), Signoret; loc. cit., 1870, p. 98.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 192.
The common apple-scale.
(Plate V., Fig. 5.)
Female puparium usually brown,[M]sometimes white; elongated, mussel-shaped, convex, slightly curved, sometimes straight; length, about1/10in.
[M]Dr. Signoret says, "brun noirâtre." Mr. Comstock calls it "ash-grey." In reality the colour varies somewhat with that of the bark of the tree.
[M]Dr. Signoret says, "brun noirâtre." Mr. Comstock calls it "ash-grey." In reality the colour varies somewhat with that of the bark of the tree.
Male puparium not known in New Zealand. In America it is stated[N]to be small, "straight or nearly so, and with the posterior part joined to the remainder of the scale by a thin portion which serves as a hinge."
[N]Comstock; Rep. of Entom., U.S. Dept. of Agric., 1880, p. 325.
[N]Comstock; Rep. of Entom., U.S. Dept. of Agric., 1880, p. 325.
Adult female greyish, yellowish, or white; elongated, segmented. Rudimentary antennæ present. At the edge of each segment two or three strong spines. Abdomen ending in two large lobes, with two others much smaller on each side; the median lobes are trifoliated. Between and beyond the lobes some spines. Five groups of spinnerets; numbers of orifices variable (see below); a few single spinnerets.
Male unknown in New Zealand and Europe, doubtful in America. Colour stated by Riley (Fifth Missouri Report, p. 95) as "translucent corneous-grey."
Habitat in New Zealand—On apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, lilac, ash, thorn, sycamore, cotoneaster, and other plants,passim.
An introduced European species, known in America and elsewhere as the "oyster-shell bark-louse of the apple." It is the commonest, apparently, of the Diaspidinæ; and does great damage in orchards.
This species has been referred to by many writers under the specific name "conchiformis;" some authors include it under the genus Aspidiotus, others under Coccus, and one—Réaumur—under Chermes. In the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society, February, 1885, Mr. A. Michael refers to it asCoccus (Mytilaspis) pomicorticis.
The groups of spinnerets have been stated above to be"variable." The following table shows the numbers observed in specimens from different trees in New Zealand:—
A very minute white Acarid (mite) has been observed frequently under the puparia of this species, among the eggs. The eggs, in most cases so observed, were shrivelled and dead. Mr. A. Michael, in the paper above mentioned ("Notes on Tyroglyphidæ") refers to an Acarus found in America in 1873, also in puparia ofM. pomorum, by Mr. Riley, and expresses doubts whether or not it fed upon the insect; yet he says, "A Tyroglyphus not ordinarily predatory might regard a Coccus as suitable for gastronomic purposes."
20.Mytilaspis pyriformis, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 194; Vol. XIV., 1881, p. 215; Vol. XVII., 1884, p. 22.
(Plate V., Fig. 6.)
Female puparium light-brown, elongated, pyriform, flat; length, averaging1/10in. (sometimes reaching1/8in.); breadth, averaging1/15in. (reaching1/12in.); texture, thin. The second pellicle is comparatively large.
Male puparium smaller and narrower, brown, not carinated.
Adult female yellowish-brown or greyish; elongated, segmented; on the segments are a few spiny hairs. Abdomen ending in several lobes, of which the two median are much the largest. Spinnerets in a continuous arch, containing sixty to seventy orifices. Many single spinnerets. Several scaly hairs between the lobes.
Adult male orange-coloured, about1/30in. long. Antennæ 10-jointed. Digitules, long fine hairs. Sheath of the penis long.
Habitat—OnDysoxylon spectabileandAtherosperma Novæ Zælandiæ, Wellington; on Coprosma, Riccarton Bush, Canterbury.
In the female puparium and in the length of the abdominal spike of the male this species resemblesM. buxi, Bouché (Signoret, loc. cit., 1868, p. 93), but differs in all other respects.
Genus:CHIONASPIS, Signoret.
Female puparium usually white, elongated; pellicles at one end; generally flat.
Male puparium white, elongated, carinated; pellicle at one end.
Groups of spinnerets, five (in one American species, six); rarely wanting.
21.Chionaspis citri, Comstock; 2nd Rep., Dep. of Entom., Cornell Univ., 1883.
Chionaspis euonymi, Comstock (in part); Ag. Rep., 1880, p. 313.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVII., p. 1884, p. 23.
(Plate VI., Fig. 1.)
Female puparium dirty blackish-brown, with a grey margin; elongated. "There is a central ridge from which the sides slope like the roof of a house" (Comstock).
Male puparium white, narrow, carinated.
Adult female yellowish-white, elongated, segmented. Abdomen ending in six lobes, of which the two median are the largest: these two are divergent. Along the edge some spines. No groups of spinnerets: a few single ones.
Adult male unknown.
Habitat—On oranges sold in the shops, imported from Sydney.
This insect, apparently an importation from America, was not observed prior to 1884, and occurs as yet only sparingly, mingled withA. coccineus, from which it is easily distinguished by its elongated puparium.
22.Chionaspis dubia, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XIV., 1881, p. 216.
(Plate VI., Fig. 2.)
Female puparium white, flat, elongated, pyriform, very thin; the pellicles rather small; length, about1/12in.
Male puparium white, elongated, rather oval; very slightly carinated above; on the under-side are two longitudinal keels.
Adult female yellow, elongated, segmented; the abdominal segments somewhat deep. Abdomen ending with a median depression; terminal lobes inconspicuous (absent?). Five groups of spinnerets: uppermost group, six to ten orifices; the rest, ten to fifteen.
Adult male reddish in colour. Antennæ hairy, 10-jointed, the first two joints very short. Feet normal, with four long, fine digitules. At the base of the abdominal spike is a somewhat large tubercle. Haltere of normal form, but the terminal seta is very long, four times as long as the thick basal portion, and has no terminal knob. Thoracic band conspicuous. The thorax is somewhat long, so that there is a considerable distance between the first and second pairs of legs.
Habitat—OnCoprosma,Rubus,Asplenium,Pellæa, Riccarton Bush and North Kowai River, Canterbury; Auckland.
The female puparium resembles that ofC. aspidistræ(Signoret) andC. populi(Bärensprung), but the abdominal segment of the female differs from both.
23.Chionaspis dysoxyli, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVII., 1884, p. 22.
(Plate VI., Fig. 3.)
Female puparium thin, flattish, pyriform, white in colour, with a faint pink tinge when the egg-mass beneath shows through it; length, about1/12in. The second pellicle is comparatively large.
Male puparium white, narrow, carinated; length, about1/36in.
The insect affects principally the leaves of the plant, and the puparia are usually clustered thickly along the midrib.
Adult female yellowish-red, elongated, segmented; but not very deeply. Abdomen ending in a broken curve, with many curvilinear incisions. There are fourteen lobes, of which the two median are the largest; separated from them by a spine on each side are two others rather smaller; then another spine and a short open space; and then three smaller lobes and another spine; another space, and then a single small lobe, followed by a spine. Five groups of spinnerets: lower pair with twelve to fourteen orifices; upper pair with seven to ten; uppermost group, four to six. A few spiny hairs are on the edge of the abdomen.
Adult male unknown.
Habitat—OnDysoxylon spectabile(Kohe-kohe), Wellington; Hawke's Bay; Auckland.
The large white puparia of this insect do much to spoil the appearance of Dysoxylon, one of the most showy-leafed plants in New Zealand.
24.Chionaspis minor, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVII., 1884, p. 33.
(Plate VI., Fig. 4.)
Female puparium white, small, not more than1/15in. in length, usually less; it is narrower and less pyriform than is usual in the genus, and is often bent in the middle; pellicles yellow.
Male puparium white, narrow, elongated, carinated, about1/30in. in length.
Adult female elongated; segmented, but not deeply; colour, dark-brown. Abdomen ending in six small lobes, of which the two median—the largest—are closely contiguous. Between them and the next pair is a spine; then beyond the second pair another spine, a space, and a third pair of very small lobes; after a long space there is another spine. Five groups of spinnerets: uppermost group with twelve to fourteen orifices; upper pair, fourteen to seventeen; lower pair, eighteen to twenty-four: many single spinnerets.
Adult male not known.
Habitat—OnParsonsia, Hawke's Bay; onRhipogonum scandens(supplejack), Wellington; Canterbury; Otago.
The small puparia and the contiguous abdominal lobes of the female distinguish this species.
Genus:POLIASPIS, Maskell; N.Z. Trans., Vol. XII., 1879, p. 293.
Female puparia elongated; pellicles at one end. Male puparia narrower, elongated, pellicle at one end. Female with more than five groups of spinnerets; abdomen without fringe.
In the kindred genus,Leucaspis, Targioni-Tozzetti (Signoret, loc. cit., 1868, p. 101), the abdomen has a continuous fringe of long spines, and the groups of spinnerets vary in number from five to eight.
25.Poliaspis media, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XII., 1879, p. 293.
(Plate VI., Fig. 5.)
Female puparium white, elongated, pyriform, slightly convex; length, about1/18in.
Male puparium elongated, narrow, white, doubtfully carinated.
Adult female elongated, segmented; greenish-white; length, about1/24in. Rudimentary antennæ visible. Abdomen ending with a median depression, and inconspicuous lobes; several scattered spiny hairs. Eight groups of spinnerets: four, containing each from twenty to thirty orifices, are placed in opposite pairs, the fifth, with four to six orifices, being between the upper pair; above these, three other groups form an arch, the two outer ones having eight to ten openings, the middle one three to five. Many single spinnerets.
Adult male of a bright scarlet or deep-orange colour. The antennæ, covered with longish hairs, have ten joints, the first two very short and thick; the next five long, equal, and cylindrical; the eighth and ninth somewhat shorter; the tenth fusiform, and as long as the seventh. The legs are rather long; the femur thick, the tibia more slender, broadening towards the tarsus, which is about one-third as long as the tibia, and narrows sharply down to the claw. Both tarsus and tibia are hairy. The digitules are fine hairs.
Habitat—OnVeronica, sp., andLeucopogon Fraseri, North Kowai River, Canterbury; onCyathodes acerosa, Wellington; on ferns, Napier.
Genus:FIORINIA, Targioni-Tozzetti.Uhleria, Comstock; 2nd Entom. Rep., Cornell Univ., 1883, p. 110.
Female puparium elongated; first pellicle small, at one end; second pellicle very large, entirely covering the insect, and almost extending to the edges of the puparium.
Male puparium elongated; smaller and narrower than that of the female; sometimes carinated; pellicle at one end.
Mr. Comstock proposes the name "Uhleria" for this genus, because Professor Targioni, establishing his genus for the species to which he originally gave the name ofDiaspis fioriniæ, changed at the same time the specific name to "pellucida."This, Mr. Comstock says, necessitates now an entirely new generic name.
Targioni's nomenclature has been followed here, as likely to lead to less confusion.
26.Fiorinia asteliæ, Maskell.
Diaspis gigas, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 201; Vol. XIV., 1881, p. 217; Vol. XVII., 1884, p. 24.
Uhleria gigas, Comstock; 2nd Entom. Rep., Cornell Univ., 1883, p. 111.
(Plate VI., Fig. 6.)
Female puparium elongated, flat, roughly pyriform or ovate, thin; the secretion is yellowish-brown or dirty-white, but is scarcely noticeable, on account of the second pellicle; length variable, from1/12in. to1/8in.; breadth, about1/16in. First pellicle small, at one end. Second pellicle, very large, almost filling the puparium, roughly pyriform; abdominal region segmented; cephalic region large, oval; abdominal segments tapering, exhibiting at the extremity either minute serrations, floriated lobes, or tusk-like lobes, or a smooth curve; the first abdominal segment sometimes produced into roundly-triangular lobes.
Male puparium flattish, elongated; length, from1/10in. to1/8in.; white, thin; roughly pyriform, but narrower than that of the female; central portion slightly convex, seeming on the under-side to have two keels; not carinated above.
Adult female yellow or brown; segmented; at first elongated, the cephalic region comparatively large, but during gestation shrinking up until the insect assumes the form of Aspidiotus. Abdomen ending in a minutely-serrated edge, with several small simple lobes, between which are longish spiny hairs. Spinnerets in an almost continuous arch, containing seventy to a hundred orifices; several single spinnerets.
Adult male yellow, slender. Antennæ, ten-jointed, as long as the body; each joint except the two first long and hairy; the last joint fusiform. Feet, long and slender; digitules, fine hairs. Abdominal spike, slender, not very long, springing from a small tubercular base.
This is a variable insect in size, colour, edge of abdomen, and spinnerets. On the bark ofPittosporum eugenioidea varietyhas the extremity of the second pellicle richly floriated, other features remaining as above. It has not been thought advisable to erect all these varieties into different species.
The male pupa, in its earlier state, is elongated, segmented, and may be mistaken for a female ofMytilaspis drimydis; but differs in its greyish-yellow colour, and also in the form of the puparium.
Habitat—OnAtherosperma Novæ Zælandiæ;Astelia cunninghamii;Coprosma, sp. var.;Pittosporum eugenioide, &c.; Wellington; Canterbury; Hawke's Bay; Otago; Nelson; Auckland.
The puparia of this insect are frequently covered by a species of torulaceous (?) fungus which spreads over the leaf they are on in a thin, brown sheet.
27.Fiorinia grossulariæ, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVI., 1883, p. 123.
Female puparium irregularly oval, being formed chiefly by the second pellicle, with a narrow edge of fibrous secretion; length, about1/20in.
Adult female elongated; segmented; the cephalic end slightly prolonged into a compressed cylinder. Segments bearing at the edge three sharp spines. The edge of the abdominal segment is much broken by serrations, and ends in two broadish median lobes, with two smaller lobes on each side. Several sharp, long spines are set in pairs along the serrated edge. Five groups of spinnerets, the three upper forming a continuous arch. Colour of insect, dark-grey.
Adult male and puparium unknown.
Habitat—On gooseberries, Amberley, Canterbury.
A doubtful species.
28.Fiorinia minima, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVI., 1883, p. 122.
Female puparium flat, elongated, oval; length, about1/36in. First pellicle, comparatively large; the second almost fills the puparium.
Male puparium rather longer than that of the female, but much narrower; carinated.
Adult female elongated; segmented; colour, pink. The abdominal segment somewhat long, the edge broken by a number of deepish curvilinear serrations, and ending in two inconspicuousmedian lobes, with three others, much smaller, on each side. From the serrations spring some hairs. There are five groups of spinnerets, but the three upper ones, almost or quite conjoined, form a nearly-continuous arch, containing forty to fifty orifices; the two lower groups have fifteen to twenty. There are several single spinnerets. The adult insect, before gestation, nearly fills the space covered by the second pellicle; after gestation it shrinks up into very small compass at the cephalic end of the puparium.
Adult male unknown.
Habitat—OnBrachyglottis repanda;Panax arboreum, Port Hills, Canterbury.
Differs from the European species,F. pellucida(Targioni), in its extremely-minute size, in the serrations of the abdomen, and the number of its hairs. Also inF. pellucidathe young female larva has two tubercles between the antennæ, which are not seen inF. minima.
29.Fiorinia stricta, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVI., 1883, p. 124; Vol. XVII., 1884, p. 24.
(Plate VI., Fig. 7.)
Female puparium elongated, narrow, with sides almost straight and parallel; length, about1/11in.; breadth, about1/50in. Colour of secretion, white, but seeming black, as the second pellicle shows through it. First pellicle, black, small, at one end; the cephalic portion prolonged in a slightly-cylindrical form. Second pellicle, very long, filling the puparium; black; entire for most of its length, but at the abdominal extremity cut across by transverse divisions forming narrow radiating segments; extreme edge semi-circular, sharply serrated. Texture, horny, hard, and strong.
Male puparium elongated, narrow, like that of the female; length, about1/12in.; colour white; pellicle, black, at one end; not carinated.
Some puparia, both male and female, are found slightly curved.
Adult female small, elongated, segmented; length, about1/30in., shrivelling at gestation. Cephalic portion compressed, cylindrical. Abdomen somewhat elongated, ending in a number of sharp-pointed, triangular, tooth-like lobes, between which may be made out a few (four?) very minute, roundly-triangular lobes.Five groups of spinnerets, the three upper groups almost joined in an arch; in the arch, forty to fifty orifices; in the two lower groups, ten to fifteen.
Adult male, brown. Antennæ, ten-jointed; each joint except the first two long and hairy; on the last joint one hair longer than the rest, and ending in a knob. Legs, slender; claw, very thin; digitules, fine hairs.
Habitat—OnDendrobium, sp.,Hedycarya, sp., Hawke's Bay;Phormium tenax,Cordyline australis,Astelia cunninghamii,Muhlenbeckia, sp., Wellington; Canterbury; Nelson.
Group II.—LECANIDINÆ.
Female insects flat, convex, or globular; elongated or circular; naked, or covered with waxy, horny, glassy, cottony, or felted secretion forming a covering or test. Adults sometimes apodous and without antennæ. Abdomen in all stages exhibiting a more or less defined cleft, and, above or beside it, on the dorsal surface, two more or less conspicuous, roughly triangular, lobes. Mentum usually monomerous or dimerous.
Male larvæ resembling females. Male pupæ covered with a test of secretion, waxy or glassy. Male adults not greatly differing from Diaspidinæ; abdominal spike usually short and thick.
SUBDIVISIONS AND GENERA.
Subdivision I.
Insects covering themselves with a secretion, composed chiefly of waxy, horny, or glassy matter
Lecanodiaspidæ.
Test of female horny, partly formed of the second pellicle
Lecanochiton.
Test of female waxy, with a single fringe of broad segments at the edge
Ctenochiton.
Test of female glassy, elevated, striated with air-cells
Inglisia.
Not yet represented in New Zealand.
Test of female waxy, produced into radiating branches
Vinsonia.
Test of female waxy, without fringe or branches
Ceroplastes.
Test of female waxy, elevated, not striated with air-cells
Fairmairia.
Tests agglomerated in a waxy mass containing colonies of insects, male and female
Carteria.
Test of female absent; tests of males aggregated in a waxy mass
Ericerus.
Subdivision II.
Female insects naked
Lecanidæ.
Females propagating without ovisac, arboreal
Lecanium.
Females constructing ovisac, arboreal
Pulvinaria.
Not yet represented in New Zealand.
Females propagating without ovisac, subterranean, retaining feet and antennæ
Lecanopsis.
Females propagating without ovisac, subterranean, losing feet and antennæ
Aclerda.
Note.—The genusPhysokermes, Targioni-Tozzetti, is placed by Signoret (loc. cit., 1874, p. 87) amongst those which here form this subdivision; but there seems to be no sufficient distinction between it andLecanium.
Subdivision III.
Insects covering themselves with secretion of cottony or felted matter
Lecano-Coccidæ.
Secretion felted, scarcely apparent on adult female, conspicuous on male pupæ and female of early stages; edge fringed
Eriochiton.
Not yet represented in New Zealand.
Secretion felted, appearing only in the last stage, after gestation
Signoretia.
Secretion felted, forming a nearly complete sac on adult female before gestation
Lecanodiaspis.
Secretion felted, forming complete sac on adult female
Philippia.
Secretion cottony, covering adult female only after gestation
Lichtensia.
Secretion cottony, forming a complete sac on adult female before gestation
Eriopeltis.
Subdivision I.—LECANODIASPIDÆ, Targioni-Tozzetti.
Female insects exhibiting in all stages the abdominal cleft and lobes. Larvæ free, naked, active. Females after the first metamorphosis constructing over themselves a carapace, shield,or (as called herein) test, of glassy, waxy, or horny secretion. Test apparently homogeneous, really in most cases formed of aggregated segments over the insect, and prolonged beyond the body in a flat single fringe of separate, more or less triangular or quadrate, segments. Fringe not always present or conspicuous in all stages. Males, after first metamorphosis, constructing a test of similar character but varying form.
This subdivision, when first established by Targioni-Tozzetti, included only the four generaPollinia,Asterolecanium,Planchonia, andLecanodiaspis, all of which are apodous in the adult stage of the female. In this work the two first of these are included in a new group,Hemi-Coccidinæ;Planchoniabelongs to the groupCoccidinæ;Lecanodiaspisis left in the present subdivision. For the reasons leading to these changes, and the inclusion in this subdivision of insects retaining the feet in all stages, see N.Z. Transactions, Vol. XI., 1878, p. 207, and Vol. XVI., 1883, pp. 125-128.
Genus:LECANOCHITON, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XIV., 1881, p. 222.
Test of adult female horny in texture, formed partly of secretion, partly of the pellicle of the second stage; abdominal cleft and lobes normal.
30.Lecanochiton metrosideri, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XIV., 1881, p. 222; Vol. XVI., 1883, p. 129.
(Plate VII., Fig. 1.)
Test of adult female brown, hard, horny-looking, convex, slightly elongated, open beneath, loosely attached to twigs by the edges; at the top is the pellicle of the second stage, which is flat, and gives the test the appearance of an overturned basket, of which the pellicle is the foot. Length of test about1/15in. Remains of the thin white test of the second stage may sometimes be seen on the pellicle.
Test of the male small, white, glassy, elongated, convex.
The young insect, extremely minute, naked and active, is flat, oval, brown, or rather reddish, usually found at the tips of young shoots or on leaves. The antennæ have six joints; on the last joint are several hairs, amongst which is one excessivelylong, slightly knobbed. Foot normal; the joints hairy; upper digitules fine knobbed hairs, lower pair a little broader.
In the second stage the female is scarcely altered: the antennæ and feet remain as before; but there is a test, white, waxy, very thin, covering the dorsal surface, and extending a little beyond the edge in an irregular fringe. On the edge also are a number of protruding spinneret tubes, glassy, white, cylindrical, either curved or straight: a few of these tubes protrude on the surface of the back.
Adult female dark-brown in colour, filling the test; convex above, flat beneath. Rostrum comparatively large; mentum probably monomerous. Antennæ short, thick, atrophied; seven-jointed, but the joints are much confused; on the last joint some hairs. Feet absent. Four rows of rather large spinnerets radiate from the median region of the dorsum to the edge, and along these, on the lower side of the test, are corresponding narrow lines of white cottony secretion.
This insect is viviparous, the young being sheltered awhile by the mother, whose under-side becomes concave during gestation.
Adult male dark-red; length, about1/40in. Antennæ of ten joints, of which the two first are very short; the third much longer and expanded at the end; the fourth more than twice as long as the third; the remainder about equal in length to the third, but thicker and rounder, being almost moniliform. All but the first two joints bear hairs. Foot normal; digitules fine hairs.
Habitat—OnMetrosideros robusta(Rata), Milford Sound; Bluff Harbour. OnM. tomentosa(Pohutukawa), Auckland.
A peculiar species, easily identifiable by the presence of the second pellicle on the female test.
Genus:CTENOCHITON, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 208.
Test of female waxy, with a single fringe of tooth-like, more or less broad, segments round the edge.
Test of male waxy or glassy, with similar fringe.
The edge of the body, in the second stage of the female, usually presents a wavy appearance, formed by a series of reentering curves. This is perhaps most conspicuous inCt. perforatus.
The antennæ of the adult female have six or seven joints. It is often very difficult to determine the number, as the third joint exhibits frequently a shallow circular depression or ring which may easily be mistaken for a division.
During gestation the female, which at first fills the test, shrivels up at one end into a shapeless mass requiring maceration in potash to restore the original form for examination. The test thus becomes almost filled with eggs.
The presence of the fringe, which is noticeable in every species of this genus at some time or other, distinguishes it fromCeroplastesandVinsonia. InCtenochiton viridisthe test is not to be made out in the adult stage but is clearly visible in the second stage of the female, and it is present, with the characteristic fringe, for the male.
31.Ctenochiton depressus, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVI., 1883, p. 132.
(Plate VII., Fig. 2.)
Test of adult female flat, nearly circular, thin, waxy, greyish-coloured; fringe inconspicuous or sometimes absent. No perforations or rows of air-cells. Diameter, about1/7in.
The fringe is more conspicuous in the test of the second stage.
Test of male elongated, narrow, flat beneath, slightly convex above, white, glassy, thin and brittle, with a conspicuous fringe of which the segments are truncato-triangular. The test is divided into tessellations, the median row of which is quadrangular, with two series of pentagonal divisions between it and the fringe. Near the abdominal extremity a transverse narrow slit cuts the test in two, leaving a small segment at the extreme end apparently separate. Length of the test about1/14in.
Adult female filling the test, but shrivelling after gestation; colour brownish or grey. Antennæ of six joints, the third being the longest, and, as is commonly the case in the genus, often appearing like two. On the last joint a few long hairs. Foot normal; the upper digitules are fine hairs, the lower pair only a little broader. Anal ring and lobes normal.
In the second stage the usual wavy edge is conspicuous; the test is thin, glassy, with normal fringe. Antennæ and feet normal. The insect is somewhat thick, with yellowish colour.
Young insect normal.
Adult male yellowish-red in colour, about1/25in. in length, exclusive of the wings. General form normal. Antennæ long, with ten joints, all long and equal, except the two first, which are very short: all the joints have several hairs. Legs normal, but the tibiæ are very long and slender, and only a little thickened at the tip; tarsi somewhat thick; digitules fine hairs. Abdominal spike long, and very slightly curved.
Habitat—OnPlagianthus,Cyathea, &c.; Hawke's Bay.
This insect resembles, to the naked eye, somewhat nearlyCtenochiton perforatus, but the female differs in the absence of the curious perforations in the test of that species, and in the shorter and thicker antennæ, with also more long hairs on the last joint. The test of the male is also different.
32.Ctenochiton elæocarpi, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVII., 1884, p. 26.
(Plate VII., Fig. 3.)
Test of adult female oval, nearly circular, black in colour, divided into hexagonal and pentagonal segments which are not conspicuous, and of which the median series forms a very slightly elevated ridge somewhat lighter in colour. The test is only slightly convex. The fringe is very long and conspicuous, the segments tooth-like. Diameter of test, exclusive of the fringe, reaches1/6in.
Test of male unknown.
Test of second stage of female white, waxy, not homogeneous, but built up of a number of loosely-aggregated tubuliform plates, somewhat resembling those of the genusOrthezia, Bosc. The fringe of this test is longer than in that of the adult, the teeth curling in different ways. Length of test and fringe, sometimes1/8in.
The adult female fills the test, shrivelling at gestation. Colour black. Antennæ somewhat long, of seven joints; a few hairs on the last joint. Foot normal; upper digitules strong and thick, lower pair very broad. On the skin are a number of large oval spots which appear to be the orifices of spinneret tubes.
Female of the second stage wanting the usual wavy edge of the genus. Round the edge of the body is a row of sharpconical spines set closely together. Antennæ of six somewhat confused joints. Feet normal.
Adult male unknown.
Habitat—OnElæocarpus dentatus(hinau), Wellington.
The large size, black colour, and very conspicuous fringe of the adult female test, and the white loose test of the second stage, distinguish this species, especially fromCt. fuscus.
33.Ctenochiton elongatus, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 212.
(Plate VII., Fig. 4.)
Test of adult female elongated, narrow, convex. Length sometimes reaching1/3in., width about1/10in. Fringe not always conspicuous; the segments quadrate outwardly. Test divided into quadrangular divisions. Colour whitish, but often blackened by fungoid growths.
Test of male unknown.
Adult female filling the test, shrivelling at gestation. Edge of the body wavy. Stigmatic spines long and conspicuous. Antennæ seven-jointed. Feet normal; lower digitules absent (?).
Adult male unknown.
Habitat—OnGeniostoma ligustrifolium, Auckland; onDendrobiumsp., Hawke's Bay; onEarinasp., Wellington.
Easily recognized by the great length and narrowness of the female test.
34.Ctenochiton flavus, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVI., 1883, p. 130; Vol. XVII., 1884, p. 26.
(Plate VII., Fig. 5.)
Female test golden, waxy, flat beneath, convex above; outline circular or slightly elliptical, with a fringe of broadly triangular segments round the edge. Apex of the test an irregular elongated mass of wax, the remainder divided into two concentric series of plates, the inner series pentagonal with sharp angles, the outer pentagonal with rounded angles and with the outer side forming the base of the segments of the fringe. The inner series forms often irregular lumps of wax. Diameter of test sometimes reaching1/9in. The colour is often hidden by black fungoid growths.
Test of male much narrower than that of the female, having an irregularly rectangular edge with deep curvilinear depressions. It is glassy, white and shining, flat beneath and elevated above, and marked with numerous horizontal striæ. The upper central portion is sometimes flat, sometimes an irregular mass of the glassy secretion. On the lower side there is often a plate of secretion, so that the pupa is almost entirely enclosed.
The adult female fills the test, shrivelling up after gestation: it is consequently flat beneath, convex above, with general outline of Lecanidinæ. The spiracular spines are very long and conspicuous; from their base a double row of minute circular spinneret orifices runs as far as the spiracle, with two or three outlying ones at the base of the spine; and a single row of the same kind of orifices runs across the body to the spiracle on the other side. Along the edge of the body there is a series of conical sharp spines; and scattered all over are many tubular projecting spinnerets. The abdominal cleft is deep, and the two lobes are conspicuous on the dorsal side; these lobes are not smooth, but irregular, and each bears at the end three or four strong spines. The antennæ have six joints; but the third joint often looks like two on account of the false division or depressed ring: the last joint has several long hairs. Feet normal; the upper digitules fine long hairs, the lower pair very broad. The anal ring bears a number of long hairs, of which eight seem to be conspicuous. The colour of the insect is a golden brown; diameter averaging1/12in.