DiaspincE. 2 7 



The flattened trowel-shaped pygidium of the insect enables it to 

 force its way beneath the hairs and fibres, gradually raising and 

 incorporating them into its scale without disturbing their original 

 position. The puparia of CJiionaspis biclavis and Cliionaspis 

 elceagims are excellent examples of such a habit. 



The male puparium in such genera as Aspidiotus and Mytilaspis 

 is constructed on the same plan as that of the female, the secre- 

 tionary supplement being of nearly the same colour, texture, and 

 form in both sexes (//. \.figs. 7, 5). The process, however, stops 

 at an earlier stage, only one (the first larval) pellicle being utilised 

 in the formation of the complete scale. 



In some genera — such as Diaspis, CJiionaspis, and Fiorinia — 

 there is a more marked contrast between the scales of the two 

 sexes. In these genera the male puparium is always more linear 

 in form, with sub-parallel sides (//. I. figs. 4, i, 3) ; the solitary 

 pellicles occupy the anterior extremity ; the supplementary area 

 composed of an opaque snowy-white secretion of a looser texture, 

 and frequently ornamented with more or less prominent thickened 

 carinae of the same substance. 



Although only one pellicle appears on the male puparium, 

 there are altogether three changes of skin before the emergence 

 of the adult male. The first pellicle is shed in the same manner as 

 that of the female, the same generic differences being noticeable in 

 the line of rupture. The pellicles of the two latter moults are 

 discarded from the hinder extremity of the puparium. 



The fact that the male puparia are often clustered together in 

 large numbers by themselves points to the probability of their 

 being in some cases separate broods consisting entirely of males. 



It will now be convenient to examine the structure of the insect 

 itself in more detail, returning once more to the female side and 

 studying it from the earliest stages. 



The &%^ {pi. I. fig. 12) is always of a more or less oblong oval 

 form, its surface usually dusted with minute waxy granules. 



The young larva is oval and flattish. The segmentation is 

 not very decided, but the usual divisions of the thorax can be 

 made out and six segments can be distinguished in the abdomen, 

 the sixth probably consisting of several segments joined together. 

 Even at this early stage the terminal segment is fringed with small 

 lobes and squames, though not to the extent that is found in the 

 pygidium of the adult female. Dr. Antonio Berlese states that, 

 'though these appendages will not serve to properly distinguish 



