380 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Art. XXXVIII. — Further Coccid Notes : with Descriptions 

 of Nctv Species, and Discussion of Questions of Interest. 



By W. M. Maskell, Eegistrar of the University of New Zea- 

 land, Corr. Mem. Eoy. Soc. of South Austraha. 



[Read before the Wellington ridlosophical Society, ISth December, 1895, 



and 26th February, 1S96.] 



Plates XVI.-XXIII. 



The Lakv^ op Coccid^. 

 In order to gain a thorough knowledge of any family of insects 

 it is desirable that the life-history of the species composing it 

 should be studied as carefully as possible. As regards the 

 habits of the insects, their manners and customs, or their in- 

 fluence upon plants or upon other animals, it is undoubtedly 

 difficult for any one who does not live in their own country to 

 properly investigate these points ; and an observer who re- 

 ceives specimens from other lands than his own can scarcely 

 be able to study them completely from this point of view. 

 But at least it is desirable that when a new species is erected, 

 or new observations <a,re made upon known species, the insects 

 under review should be examined as much as possible in all 

 stages of life and in both sexes. In the case of Coccidce, the 

 males are unfortunately by no means generally available, 

 especially when specimens are received for identilication from 

 a distance ; for collectors are seldom careful to capture with 

 the specimens attached to plants the small wunged flies which 

 they may see hovering about the females. Many instances, 

 however, have occurred in my experience of males arriving in 

 my hands either hatched out in transit or else in the pupa 

 stage ready to emerge ; and in this way I have been able to 

 describe the males of many species. Larvae, on the other 

 hand, almost always accompany the adults ; either they exist 

 alongside of them on the leaves or they hatch out, sometimes 

 in considerable numbers, even after the specimens have been 

 a long time in the boxes. With the exception of the Diaspi- 

 dince, where the specific differences in the larvae are usually 

 very slight (and in some cases even in that group), I have 

 been careful to describe the larvae of any new species erected 

 by me, and also the second female stage and the male pupa 

 whenever possible : for a mere hasty description of an adult, 

 with perhaps very insignificant differences from other species, 

 without any attempt to discuss other states which might 

 throw much light on the relationships, seems quite inadequate 

 for scientific purposes. Even in cases where there is no know- 



