'diO NOTES ON THE FAMILY BRACHYSCELIDiE, 



Opisthoscelis Maskelli, n.sp. (PI. xvii. figs. 6-9). 



9. Gall 6 lines high, diameter 4 lines ; basal portion dull 

 green, apical portion brown ; solid, broad, and squat at the base, 

 cylindrical for the first two-thirds, then sharply constricted, often 

 into a distinct rim, from which a conical pyriform brown cap 

 springs, formed of several concentric rings ending in a truncate 

 tip, with the apical orifice in the centre ; orifice a very narrow 

 elongate slit ; chamber flask-shaped, walls very thick at base, 

 thinning out towards ai)ex, smooth and shining inside. 



The immature galls very much more elongate, flask-shaped, 

 narrow at base, swelling out in the centre and coming to a 

 slender tip, pale green, with the apex often tinged with pink or 

 brown : on the young branchlets, leaf-stalks, and sometimes upon 

 the midrib of the leaf, often singly, sometimes covering all the 

 foliage of the tree. 



This gall is very variable in form, but the above description is 

 of the typical and usual shape, the others being only local varia- 

 tions. 



^. Larva pale pink to salmon colour, filling up the cavity in 

 mature galls at the apical opening. Head lobed in centre with a 

 fine fringe of hairs between antennae ; antennae short and stout, 

 consisting of four (?) joints and terminating with several setae, 

 one much longer than the others ; eyes black, well back in the 

 head behind the base of the antennae ; body elongate-oval, pointed 

 towards the tip of the abdomen, segments distinct, legs stout, a 

 little stouter and more shield-shaped than in the larvae of 0. svh- 

 rotnnda, 



<^. Coccid (first stage) yellow, 2 lines long ; flat on the upper 

 side, elongate, rounded at the top, tapering to the tiji, attached to 

 the bottom of the gall by the mouth, which is situated in the 

 centre of the upper portion of the thoracic fold, and drawing out 

 considerably when detached, but retracted when released ; no 

 signs of eyes or antennas ; fore and middle pairs of legs wanting, 

 hind pair reddish-yellow, femora short, stout, tibia slender, tarsi 

 long, slender, often as long as the whole coccid, truncate at the 



