4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.78 



of their shape, mandibles assume different positions when mounted 

 in balsam and it is extremely difficult to orient all of them in the 

 same position after the cover glass is in place. For this reason 

 mandibles are best studied in oil of cloves or soft balsam so they 

 can be manipulated with dissecting needles before a permanent 

 mount is made. 



Unfortunately, a great many species of Coccophagus are known 

 only from single poorly preserved specimens. A scientific classifi- 

 cation of the group based on fundamental characters can not be 

 made until additional properly preserved specimens are obtained. In 

 this paper, especially in the key, superficial, unstable characters 

 have of necessity been used. Coloration is the most conspicuous 

 and easily seen character but unfortunately it is the most unreliable. 



SYSTEMATIC POSITION 



The genus Coccophagus is imperfectly defined, as it is a hetero- 

 geneous assemblage containing species that partially intergrade with 

 other genera. The characters that separate Coccophagus from Pros- 

 paltella^ Encarsla, Aneristus, Prococcophagus^ Aspidiotiphagus, and 

 Coccophagoides are relative and cannot be sharply defined. As a 

 matter of convenience, the original generic grouping is adhered to 

 in this paper, thus excluding the Prospaltella-like species described 

 as Coccophagus by Girault. Girault recognized that Prospaltella 

 and Coccophagus intergrade in the case of certain species and 

 synonymized Prospaltella. In doing so, he wrote : " For extreme 

 Prospaltella forms compare dbnorTnicornis and allies. These form 

 a distinct genus but there may be intervariations." In the same 

 article Girault removes the so-called extreme Prospaltella forms, 

 namely ahnormicornis, singularis, and regidus from C occophagus to 

 the genus C occophagoicles which he established for their reception.^ 

 It seems inconsistent to synonymize one genus while erecting a new 

 genus for the reception of the annectant species. Regardless of this 

 inconsistency, dbnormis^ singularis^ and regulus seem to represent 

 a group more unlike typical Coccophagus than is Prospaltella and as 

 such are probably entitled to generic rank. In the assemblage of 

 species included under Coccophagus in this paper are some speci- 

 mens that differ from the type species more than do certain other 

 species for which separate genera have been erected. Until these 

 parasites are better understood it is thought best to maintain the 

 present generic concepts. 



^ Girault, A. A., Memoirs Queensland Museum, vol. 4, pp. 47, 53-55, 58, 1915. 



