THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



95 



THE DIPLACUS CEROPUTO. 



L'croputo yuccw Coq. 

 (Fig. 74.) 



General Appearance. — This insect is continually mistaken for the 

 regular mealy bugs belonging to the genus Pseudococcus. It differs 

 in having a tooth on the inner surface of the claw, and a row of spine- 

 groups on each side. The cottony covering is very dense and arranged 

 in broad segmental plates. The males are nearly half an inch long, 

 with dark and orange colored bodies, and long anal filaments. The 

 cocoons are elliptical in shape, white in color and scattered among the 

 females. 



Life History. — The young are born alive and soon secrete wax 

 enough to completely cover them. The broods appear in the late 



Fig. 74. — Adult females of the diplacus ceropiito, Ceropnto yuccw Coq. (Essig, P. C. 



Jr. Ent.) 



spring and early summer, and are especially abundant during the 

 months of April, May, June and July. The males mature Avhen the 

 females are about two thirds grown ; the life period of the females 

 being from three to five months. This species lives under the ground 

 on roots of black sage {Bamona stacliyoides) and above ground on 

 other plants. As an aerial form it does not appear until late in the 

 season. The adults in all probability hibernate under ground in 

 winter. 



Distribution. — From Santa Cruz County south along the coast and 



