Maskell. — On Coccididifi. 15 



formed of loose parcallel threads. On the twigs and leaves 

 sent to me the male puparia far outnumbered those of the 

 females. 



Chionaspis aspidistras, Signoret (Essai, p. 125). 



This insect occurs on Areca catechu in India, and has been 

 sent to me by Mr. Cotes, who states that it has been doing 

 much damage to those trees. The species is a little peculiar, 

 firstly from the thin yellow puparium (rather unusual in the 

 genus), and secondly from the excessive prominence of the 

 segments in the adult female. Signoret, indeed, speaks of 

 this last feature as giving an extraordinarily quaint appearance 

 to the insect ; but I have seen a similar peculiarity (though 

 less strongly accentuated) in some specimens of Mytilaspis 

 jvjnformis. 



Chionaspis nitida, sp. nov. Plate I., figs. 13, 14. 



Female puparium silvery- white and shining, elongated, 

 smooth, slightly convex, the sides in a normal specimen some- 

 what parallel, the puparium being thus not as pyriform as is 

 usual in the genus ; pellicles terminal, the larval pelhcle 

 bright-yellow, the second greyish. Length of puparium about 



Male puparium silvery-white, elongated, with parallel 

 sides, slightly convex, with an inconspicuous longitudinal 

 median groove. Pellicle bright-yellow. Length of puparium 



about 2^0^^- 



The pellicles and the wdiite secretion in the puparia of 

 both the male and the female are particularly clean and bright- 

 looking. 



Adult female golden-brown, elongated, of the normal shape 

 of the genus, the abdominal segments not prominent ; abdomen 

 ending in two small floriated lobes with a median depression, 

 the margin crenulated, with a few small spines. Spinneret- 

 groups five : upper group with 4 to 6 orifices ; upper laterals 

 12 to 14, lower laterals 20. Many single spinnerets. On each 

 of the thoracic and the anterior abdominal segments, near the 

 margins, is at each side a group of small spiny hairs. Length 

 of insect about jj^ii^- 



Adult male unknown. 



Hab. In Australia, on Daviesia corymbosa. Sent by Mr. 

 French from Melbourne, and by Mr. Tepper from Adelaide. 



The very clean bright puparia of this insect readily dis- 

 tinguish it in outward appearance. In the abdominal ex- 

 tremity it is somewhat near to G. eugenice and C. nyssce, but 

 it wants the strong spines visible on the segments of those 

 species, and diiiters also in the spinneret-groups. The snowy- 

 white puparia and golden pellicles are pretty objects under a 



