220 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Lecanium filicum, Boisduval. Signoret, Essai, p. 436. 



Plate XIII., fig. 4. 



Adult female semiglobular, with a flattened margin ; colour 

 reddish-brown ; diameter about j^in. Epidermis exhibiting 

 regular oval markings. Antennae of eight joints. Tarsus 

 showing a distinct articulation with the tibia. Body fre- 

 quently carinated. 



Female of the second stage flattish, elongated-elliptical. 



Larva yellowish, flat, elliptical. Length about y^m. 



Hob. In Australia, on a fern, probably Lomaria sp., 

 Tweed Eiver. Sent by Mr. Koebele. 



Signoret (and after him Douglas) separates this species 

 from L. liemisphcericum, which it very closely resembles, by 

 the carinations of the dorsum. I am not sure, however, that 

 the distinction is quite satisfactory. The frond of fern which 

 I received was covered with great numbers of individuals, and 

 whilst some of them exhibited carinations others did not. It 

 is not likely that the two species are mingled on the plant, 

 and, as about half the specimens were not quite smooth, I have 

 felt compelled to place them as L. filicum. 



Lecanium depressum, Signoret. Sign., Essai, p. 269. 



Adult female reddish-brown, darkening with age to nearly 

 black ; form elliptical, more or less convex ; length variable 

 from |in. to Jin. Antennae of eight joints, of which the third 

 is the longest. Feet rather long; tarsus almost as long as 

 the tibia. Epidermis marked with many cells of irregular 

 shape, closely conjoined and forming a " marquetry pattern : '; 

 in the middle of each cell is a small oval clear spot. At the 

 very latest stage, when the insect is darkest in colour, the 

 cells cannot be seen until after treatment with potash. 



Female of the second stage light-brown, flattish, elliptical ; 

 length about y^m- Antennae of six joints. Dorsum fre- 

 quently, but not always, exhibiting one longitudinal and two 

 transverse carinas. 



Larva brown, flat, elliptical; length about -g^in. An- 

 tennae of six joints. 



Hub. In New Zealand, not common, on various green- 

 house plants; in Australia, on Hahca sp., on "cultivated 

 vine," and on an unnamed plant, Sydney and Tweed Eiver ; 

 and in the Sandwich Islands, on Psidium (guava) and Bambusa, 

 (bamboo). Mr. Olliff sent it to me on Hakca ; my other exotic 

 specimens are from Mr. Koebele. 



I reported this insect in New Zealand in 1878, and after 

 examination, and comparison with the Australian and Sand- 

 wich Islands specimens, I have no doubt of its identity. Sig- 

 noret was the first to describe it in detail, although Targioni 

 had previously given it its name. In Signoret's description he 



