xxxiii, '22] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 175 



vorous mealy bug," which was once aplly applied to this insect, 

 is not a misnomer. It is now recorded from 80 hosts and the 

 list is far from complete. In the Shenandoah valley of Vir- 

 ginia it far outnumbers the clover root mealy bug on the roots 

 of clover, but in central Ohio the latter was more abundant. 



In life this species is very easily distinguished from the clover root 

 mealy bug. The adults vary from 2 mm. to 6 mm. in length, width 

 approximately half the body length, elongate oval when viewed dorsally 

 and somewhat flattened from a lateral view. The reddish -brown body 

 is covered with a white wax powder and around the body margin are 

 17 pairs of lateral tassels or filaments, which increase in length toward 

 the posterior end, the caudal pair being from one-half to two-thirds as 

 long as the body. The eight-segmented antennae are about one-fifth as 

 long as the body and similar in color. The legs are slightly lighter. 



Immature forms have the general appearance of the adults. First 

 and second stage larvae have six-segmented antennae and larvae of the 

 third stage have seven-segmented antennae. The caudal tassels make 

 their appearance in the first larval stage and late in the second stage are 

 nearly as long as those of the adult. Except for reduced size third 

 stage larvae are similar to the adults. 



The males are minute winged forms, 1.3 mm. in length, with ? 

 white pair of caudal tassels equal to two-thirds the length of the body 

 They are active fliers, without functional mouthparts, and live for a 

 few days only. 



Since the life history has been studied in California (Clausen, 

 1915) a brief summary of observations made under Ohio con- 

 ditions is given here. Specimens and eggs transferred from 

 sycamore to clover were reared on the latter in the insectarv, 

 where the temperature fluctuated from 45 degrees to 90 degrees 

 Fahrenheit. The complete life cycle from egg to egg averaged 

 85.5 days for six individuals. As spring approached this time 

 was shortened. Winter was passed in every stage of develop- 

 ment. As cold weather approached every stage of development 

 was retarded, the immature forms and adults alike became very 

 sluggish and inactive. None were ever found stored in ant 

 nests. Kggs collected on December 1 and kept in a shaded 

 place outdoors did not hatch until the middle of March. 



Although found associated with the clover root mealy bug 

 on the roots of clover, the ants rarely carried this species about. 

 \Yhcn a colony was disturbed the ants lust no time in carrying 

 the clover root mealy bug to a place of safety, but the Baker 



