400 Transactions. — Zoology. 



in these cases, e.g., Poliaspis, Inglisia, Sphcerococcus, other 

 species have soon been discovered, which proved the correct- 

 ness of my view. Sometimes, again, I have reported certain 

 variations and remarked that, if at a future time new insects 

 exhibiting them should be reported, it would probably be 

 necessary to erect a new genus for them. 



Such a case as the last occurred in 1891 with the form 

 which I named Dactylopius eucalypti. Certain features in 

 this departed from the type of Dactylojnus, but I preferred to 

 wait for the discovery of some others with similar characters 

 before removing D. eucalypti from that genus. Two such 

 forms have now come under review, and I therefore propose 

 to set them apart under the name Lachnodius, which will indi- 

 cate one of the principal characters — the excessive pubescence 

 of the anogenital ring. 



Lachnodius, gen. nov. 



Female insects active or stationary; naked, or covered 

 with cottony or mealy or waxy secretion. Body segmented. 

 Antennae of seven or eight joints, of which the last is not 

 longer than the others. Mentum monomerous. Aival tu- 

 bercles small or obsolete. Anogenital ring with more than 

 eight hairs. 



Male insects normal of Dactylopince. 



The seven-jointed antenna would not in itself be a dis- 

 tinctive character, but the shortness of the last joint, the 

 monomerous mentum, and the hairs of the anal ring are quite 

 sufficient. 



Lachnodius eucalypti. Dactylopius eucalyp)ti, Maskell, 



1891, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxiv., p. 35. 



The original description of this insect need not be here re- 

 peated. Further notes regarding it will be found in vols, xxv., 

 xxvi., xxvii. of the Transactions. I am satisfied now that the 

 mentum is monomerous. 



Lachnodius lectularius, sp. nov. Plate XXL, figs. 12-19. 



Adult female dark -red or reddish -brown, elliptical, very 

 convex, distinctly segmented; length averaging about ^in., 

 but some specimens seen reach almost 4in. The twig be- 

 neath the insect is usually somewhat swollen and widened, 

 and also hollowed out, forming a bed for the insect. The 

 margin is generally somewhat flattened, but this is not 

 noticeable in all specimens. The ventral surface is convex, 

 filling the hollow in the twig, but at gestation the insect be- 

 comes itself hollow, and the under-surface then appears as if 

 honeycombed, from the numerous wrinkles formed by the 

 shrinking of the ventral epidermis. Antennae of seven joints, 



