Maskell. — On Coccididee. 245 



one of my specimens produced a great number of larvae. All 

 my specimens (about a dozen) are small ; but Monophlebus 

 varies greatly in size. The larva resembles generally that of 

 M. crawfordi, but has no very long hair on the antenna. The 

 excessively long hyaline threads springing from the margin 

 are so brittle that they can only be seen in a newly-hatched 

 larva; even the contact of two larvae meeting each other in 

 their travels causes them to break off. 



Westwood (Arc. Ent., i., 22, 3) describes, under the name 

 of M. illigeri, a male of this genus said to come from " Van 

 Diemen's Land " ; and Signoret remarks that it is the smallest 

 of the genus. I do not know whether this may possibly be 

 M. fuscus. I note also a form which Signoret (Essai, p. 400) 

 considers to be a larva of M. leachii, West w., from India, with 

 seven-j ointed antennae, but which may be an adult female. 



Monophlebus sp. 



I have received from Mr. Cotes, of the Indian Museum, 

 two specimens of females which appear to belong to this genus, 

 but I should like more material for full identification. Each 

 is about fin. long, and therefore above the average, and the 

 body is thicker than usual. As the specimens were sent in 

 alcohol, I am unable to say whether they excrete cotton or 

 not ; but the epidermis is very slightly hairy, with numerous 

 spinnerets, the antennae have nine joints of which the last is 

 the longest, and the feet are moderately spinous. Possibly 

 they may be identical with Monophlebus (Drcsicha) contrahens, 

 Walker ; an insect in Ceylon which has not yet been properly 

 described. M. contrahens produces a good deal of cotton. 



Genus Icerta, Signoret. 

 Icerya koebelei, sp. now Plate XVIII. , figs. 5-11. 



Adult female generally of a rather bright red colour, which 

 seems to darken somewhat with age ; covered with dots and 

 patches of cottony meal which are often so thick as to hide 

 the body, and make the insect appear to the naked eye quite 

 white. Length of the insect reaching y^im, but no spe- 

 cimen observed exceeded that length. Form generally resem- 

 bling that of I. purchasi, Mask., being elliptical, flatfish be- 

 neath, the dorsum elevated, and presenting the appearance of 

 an irregularly-raised ridge ; body corrugated, but the segments 

 are not clearly distinct. Epidermis bearing numbers of rather 

 long densely-black hairs, irregularly scattered and not arranged 

 in tufts, though they are most numerous on the margin. 

 Erom the centre of the dorsal region springs a rather thick 

 subcylindrical column of white cotton, forming a pencil which 

 is sometimes nearly as long as the whole body ; this column 



