286 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Eriococcus Texanus, n. sp. — The females of this species received from 

 Prof. Wheeler were in alcohol, and seemed to be flesh colour ; when 

 placed in liquid potash, they turn red-brown. "When alive, they are of a 

 peculiar green colour" (Wheeler). 



°. , examined with a hand lens, very much resembling a Dactylopius 

 naked, i. e., without ovisac, distinctly segmented, oval, tapering behind, 

 plump, 2)^ mm. long, i^ broad. Boiled in K. O. H., the derm is 

 tinged with yellow, with spines of the normal type and confined to sides, 

 short, 20 /x long, those of the outer margin twice as long ; several 

 spine-like long hairs of two sizes are found scattered irregularly over the 

 body, 28x60 i>. long, and some round gland-pits. Antennae, legs and 

 mouth-parts light brown. Antenna? 6-jointed : Joints (1)40,(2)40,(3) 

 112, (4) 28, (5) 28, (6) 40 //, long. 



Legs long and stout. 



Front leg coxa, 120. Femur and trochanter 200. Tibia 120. Tarsus 132. 

 Middle " 120. " " " 216. " 120. " 133. 



Hind '• 180. " " " 220. " 140. " 180. 



Claws 6 /i long, stout, curved and thin towards the end. Digitules 

 of tarsus filiform, with small knobbed ends. Anal ring normal, with 

 8 bristles, which are thin, 100 /* long. Posterior tubercles large and 

 rounded, about So //. long and broad, with one long bristle and four stout 

 spines 24 //. long. 



Hab. — San Angelo, Texas, on roots or young shoots in the earthen 

 nests of Cremasiogaster punctulata, Emery. "They were undoubtedly 

 being cultivated by the ants " (Wheeler). Collected by Prof. Wheeler, 

 March, 1902. Its nearest North American ally is Eriococcus Tins/eyi, 

 Ckll., which has in the hind leg a very long tarsus as in E. Texanus, but 

 differs very materially in other respects \ in the antenna? a general type of 

 E. Palmefi, Ckll., but in Texanus joint 3 is very much longer than in 

 Palmeri. 



This is the first species of the genus Eriococcus known to inhabit ants' 

 nests. The absence of an ovisac in this species is no doubt due to the 

 habit of the ants lapping the bodies of the coccids, and thus preventing a 

 sac from forming. In a recent letter from Prof. Cockerel!, he says : "If 

 this really has no ovisac, even when producing eggs, it is not an 

 Eriococcus, but a Rhizococcus. Such forms occur in Australia, and 

 Signorel recorded one from Europe. Rhizococcus is to Eriococcus as 

 Calymnatus is to Puivinaria." 



