A NKW SUBSPECIES OF CEROPIvASTES FROM 



MEXICO. 



BY T. D. A. COCKERELL. 



In Zoe, Vol. iii, Oct. 1892, Prof. C. H. Tyler Townsend 

 describes, without naming, a Ceroplastes found by Dr. A. Duges at 

 Guanajuato, Mexico, on Bignonia and Chrysanthemum. Prof. 

 Townsend has now kindly sent me two examples of this Cero- 

 plastes, with the suggestion that if new, the species might be 

 called C cishidiformis. I have adopted this name, while 

 regarding the insect as hardly a distinct species, but rather a 

 subspecies of C. psidii, Chavannes, [848. 



CEROPLASTES PSIDII CISTUDIFORMIS, Subsp. UOV. 



Scale: (largest specimen) length 7^ mm., breadth 6 mm., 

 alt. 4^ mm. Color pale grey, with a slightly pink tinge at 

 sides. Each cereous plate with numerous radiating fine blackish 

 lines, and the lateral plates with two not very well-defined 

 concentric lines. Below the nucleus of each lateral and terminal 

 plate, the margin is broadly yellowish-white, without marks; 

 these broadly triangular yellowish-white portions are separated 

 above from the rest of the scale by black bands, which become 

 evanescent towards the nuclei of the plates. The central plate 

 has stronger radiating lines or bands at intervals, giving it the 

 superficial appearance of being divided into several, as is the 

 case in C janeirensis and psidii. 



The plate-nuclei are small, blackish, with the usual white 

 secretion in the centre. That of the dorsal or central plate is 

 rather large. Inside of the (cereous) scale pale ochreous, the 

 divisions between the plates marked with purplish-brown. 



Dorsal plate approximately circular, its posterior half strongly 

 gibbous in both the specimens, 



Anterior end with a single plate resembling the adjacent 

 lateral. Each side with two approximately square lateral plates. 



Posterior end with a very large broad compound plate, with 

 two distinct nuclei, and an obscure third one between them. 



One of the specimens contained the desiccated body of the $ . 

 The skin (corresponding to the " scale " of a Lecaniuni) is yellow 



