SOUTH INDIAN COCCIDS OF ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE. (327 



over by white patches, coutaiuiug colonies of this mealy bug. It has not 

 been found tt) attack any other cultivated plant so far; but it is pretty 

 bad on brinjal. Recorded before on Slda cordifolia in North India. 



26. Phenacoccus iceryoides. Green.* 



A mealy bug found infesting citrus shoots (in Godavari), mango fruits and 

 stalks ( in Viziagapatam ), and on shoots of Odina odiar tree in Coimbatore. 

 Noted before on BosweUia, Capparis and mango elsewhere. This is also a 

 somewhat destructive species found in white masses on the shoots and 

 fruits of the host plants. 



27. Riper sia sacdiari. Green.* 



This is an impor'tant mealy bug pest of sugarcane and often does serious 

 damage. The orange coloured bugs are found clustered at the nodes of 

 lower regions of the growing sugarcane plant which are covered over by 

 the old leaf sheaths. The bugs are covered over with white powdery matter. 

 Found on certain varieties of cane on the Coimbatore farm. 



Sub-family — Asterole«'aniin.e. 



28. Anotnalococcus iiidicus sp, new. Green.* 



This is a serious specific pest of Acacia arabica (Babul) in the Coimba- 

 tore district. The female scales are pale white in colour and spherical 

 in shape. Young trees suft'er badly from this pest and badly infested 

 trees show the white scales in numbers on every portion of its stem, 

 branches and shoots. A moth ' Eichlemma scitula'' is found predacious on 

 the scale and among the scales on the branches can be found the cocoons 

 of this caterpillar which appear as dark brown spherical shell like objects 

 bigger than the scales. Large colonies of the black ant Camponotus com- 

 pressus are found nesting at the foot of the trees and visiting the infested 

 branches frequently. The insect is a species new to science. 



29. Ccrococcus hibisci, Green.f 



The scales of this species are spherical and is often found in yellowish 

 or greyish brown masses on the shoots of cotton in different places. Not a 

 serious pest. Noted on cotton in Vizag, Godaveri, Coimbatore and Tinne- 

 velly districts. First described by Green in Vol. II of the memoirs of the 

 Department of Agriculture, India, p. 19 (1908). 



TACHARDIIN.^. 



30. TacJmrdia lacca, Kerr.t 

 This is the lac insect and produces the waxy secretion which forms the 

 chief constituent of the shellac of commerce. This insect, therefore, is a 

 useful one. Lac cultivation though well known in the Central Provinces 

 and Bengal is not carried on anywhere in South India although there is no 

 doiibt that it can be successfully carried on in these parts also. In the 

 wild condition I have found encrustations of this insect on Mango (Sadi- 

 apet), Dalbergia lanceolaria (Walayar forests), and on the Rain tree (in 

 Coimbatore). It has been noted on a species oi SJiorea in Mysore and 



t Named by Prof. Newstead. 



X The lac found on Dalbergia was determined as ' T. lacca, kerr' by Mr. 

 •Green. One species I found on " Thespesia ' in Cuddappah has been determined by 

 Mr. Green as ' T. lobato , Gr.'' 



39 



