38 Tra^isactions. — Zoology. 



close to each other. It is by no means easy to mount a 

 specimen of this insect for minute examination and preserva- 

 tion on a shde, on account of the excessive softness and thin- 

 ness of the skin. 



From a later letter from Mr. Eaithby I gather that this 

 insect is very plentiful in its locality — so much so that on 

 turning over a sod the earth looks as if " stricken with 

 mildew." 



Ripersia formicicola, sp. nov. Plate VIII., figs. 4-7. 



Adult female flattish, sometimes circular, sometimes 

 slightly elongated ; colour yellow, or brown, or red ; diameter 

 averaging about ijVin. without the processes ; segmented ; 

 powdered dorsally and ventrally with white meal, and having 

 a number of white cottony tassels all round the margin, form- 

 ing a kind of fringe which is sometimes more or less equal all 

 round, sometimes longer at the posterior region ; the tassels 

 are frequently as long as half the diameter of the insect. 

 Antennge of six joints, of which the third and sixth are much 

 the longest and subequal, the fourth and fifth the shortest, 

 the sixth is fusiform, and all the joints have hairs. Feet 

 rather long and slender : tarsus a little more than half as 

 long as the tibia ; digitules fine hairs. Meutum conical, long, 

 trimerous. Anogenital ring cojnpound, with six hairs ; anal 

 tubercles very small, setiferous. 



Larva yellowish-pink, covered slightly with white meal ; 

 flattish, elongated, active: length about J^in. Antennae of 

 six joints, of which the last is much the longest. Feet mode- 

 rate : tibia shorter than the tarsus. Meutum long, conical, 

 trimerous. Anal tubercles small, setiferous, and each bearing 

 two conical spines. 



Male unknown. 



Hah. In New Zealand, underground, in ants' nests : my 

 specimens are from the Ashburton district, sent to me by 

 Mr. W. W. Smith. 



This is a clearly distinct species, its generic position being 

 fixed by the antennas. In Mr. Smith's letters accompanying 

 the specimens he informs me that the insects are free, and 

 travel about in the galleries of the ants' nests (sp. Tctramorimi 

 striatum and T. nitidum, Smith), and that when the nests are 

 suddenly disturbed the ants may frequently be seen carrying 

 off the Bipcrsice with their own eggs for safety to the inner- 

 most galleries, but that they seem never to eat or otherwise 

 harm the Coccids. Mingled with all are often specimens of 

 Dactylopius yoce, but these are evidently attached to the roots 

 of grass penetrating the nests, and have no connection with 

 either ants or Bipersia. It would be interesting to know 

 whether in other countries Coccids are found under similar 



