ART. 17 MASKELL ASTEROLECANIINAE---MOKRISON 33 



around llOfi long; apical setae fairly large and stout, about 82/ii 

 long. 



Preadult female. — No examples of this or other intermediate stages 

 available. 



Larva. — Ovoid, slightly broader before the middle, length about 

 520^, width about 270/*; antennae 6-segmented, about 180|ti. long, 

 terminal longest, last three with stouter curved sensory setae ; legs not 

 unusual; beak short conical, 1-segmented; marginal setae slender, 

 about 7/u. long, spiracular spines apparently variable, the anterior 

 usually in twos, 3-6/i long, posterior apparently single, perhaps 

 sometimes wanting or very short, perhaps 3|ii, or resembling the 

 marginal; with a few minute setae dorsally and ventrally; 8-shaped 

 pores in submedian, intermediate, and marginal rows on the anterior 

 portion of bod}^, the intermediate row lacking on the abdomen; anal 

 plates poorly developed, each bearing a single moderately stout seta ; 

 anal ring narrow, with pores and six setae ; apical seta elongate, about 

 225/1. 



Cotype.—C2^t. No. 40373, U.S.N.M. 



This species is a member of a very complex and very difficult 

 group within the genus, probably now comprising a total of 10 

 described North and South American species. The actual status of 

 all these supposedly valid species is uncertain at this writing; how- 

 ever, prosofidis may apparently be separated from all of those 

 described from North America by at least one definite morphological 

 character. All of the adult females of prosopidis that have been 

 examined have only three cribriform plates in each of the two rows. 

 All of the other North American species appear to possess four or 

 five of these structures in each row. 



Genus SOLENOCOCCUS Cockerel! 



Reference. — Morrison and Morrison, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 60^ 

 art. 12, 1922, p. 21. 



Studies on related genera and species, particularly on the genus 

 Cerococcus, have not progressed sufficiently to establish definitely 

 the status of this genus and it is therefore left without change in this 

 paper, although there seems to be much evidence to indicate that at 

 least the two New Zealand species included here can hardly be sepa- 

 rated generically on a morphological basis from the Australian and! 

 Fijian species that are currently assigned to the genus Cerococcus. 

 The genus Solenococcus as now accepted is actually based on the devel- 

 opment of a posterior apical protruding tube on the test of the adult 

 female. Such a character can hardly be considered as having generic 

 significance, particularly as an exactly parallel condition has been 

 accepted in the genus Asterolecanmnm without a suggestion that the 

 48179—27 3 



