134 Transactions. ^Zoology. 



Hah. In Australia, on various species of Eucalyptus and 

 on Acacia, sp. My specimens are from New South Wales. 



There is little beyond colour to distinguish the female of 

 this species, when extracted from the puparium, from several 

 others of the genus ; and colour is probably not of much 

 account. However, the dark-red of this insect is uncommon ; 

 but the light-grey solid puparium is not likely to be mistaken 

 for any other. From the numbers of specimens on the twigs 

 sent to me I should imagine that the insect must be somewhat 

 plentiful. 



"O' 



Mytilaspis pallens, sp. nov. Plate IV., figs. 2-4. 



Female puparium light greyish-green, elongated, flat, thin ; 

 rather widely pyriform in many specimens, narrower in others ; 

 straight or very slightly curved. Pellicles small; length 

 averaging lin. 



Male puparium resembling that of the female, but much 

 smaller and a little more convex ; not carinated. Length 

 about 3^o^n. 



Adult female very dark-brown or purple ; general form 

 normal of the genus, the cephalic region comparatively large. 

 Abdomen ending in two lobes, with a median depression be- 

 tween them, and several much smaller, usually six on each 

 side ; on the edge some rather strong spines. All the ab- 

 dominal segments bear strong spines at the edges, the last 

 above the pygidium having six or eight. Pygidium with five 

 groups of spinnerets, which often a23pear as a continuous arch : 

 upper group, 11-14 orifices; upper laterals, 14-20; lower 

 laterals, 18-24 ; many single spinnerets. 



Adult male dark-browai ; length, exclusive of the abdominal 

 tubercle and spike, about ^^gin. The spike is very long, equal- 

 ling (including the tubercle) three-fourths of the length of the 

 body. x\ntenna3 rather thick, hairy, with ten joints ; other- 

 wise presenting no special features. Feet also rather thick; 

 digitules fine hairs. 



Hah. (?) My specimens were sent to me from New South 

 Wales, on a species, apparently, of fan-palm grown in a green- 

 house ; but I am unable to say what is the ordinary food-plant. 



In the margin of the abdomen, in the lobes and median 

 depression, and in the arrangement of the strong spiny hairs, 

 especially those on the abdominal segments, the female of this 

 sjjecies approaches to the New Zealand form Mytil. phymato- 

 dldls, Mask., which is common here on ferns ; but the pupa- 

 rium differs considerably in size, in colour, and in texture, 

 being much more solid ; and the spinneret-groups also differ. 

 The male of JSI. 'phymatodidis has not yet been observed. 

 Perhaps the great proportionate length of the abdominal spike 

 in the male of M. pallens may be a distinguishing character. 



