Aspidiotus. 49 



ASPIDIOTUS LATANI^, Signorei. 



(Plate VIII.) 



Aspidiotus latanice, Sign. Essni, i86g, p. 124. 



Aspidiotus transparens, Green, Insect Pests of the Tea Plant, 1890, p. 22. 



Female puparium circular, flattish ; no concentric lines of growth, but fresh 

 specimens with fine radiating wrinkles ; secreted area transparent, whitish or 

 colourless, showing distinctly the sublying insect and eggs {figs. 3, 4). Pellicles 

 very pale yellow, transparent, nearly central. Ventral scale represented only 

 by a delicate film on surface of leaf. Diameter r5o mm. 



Male puparium {fig. 2) similar to that of female, but smaller, oval, and with 

 single pellicle. Size i mm. by 075 mm. 



Adult female {figs. 6, 7) bright pale yellow ; pygidium tinged with brown 

 towards the extremity, four white waxy patches indicating externally the cir- 

 cumgenital glands. Body pyriform, tapering and pointed behind ; thoracic 

 area broadly rounded ; anterior margin straight or slightly concave, with often 

 a minute prominence on each side of the depression {fig. 6). Antennae rudi- 

 mentary, a minute tubercle with curved hair at base. No parastigmatic glands. 

 Pygidium {fig. 10) with six prominent lobes ; median pair stoutest, obscurely 

 tricuspid, dark-coloured, scarcely as long as second pair ; second and third 

 pairs slender, very delicate and transparent, contracted at base and notched on 

 outer side ; each lobe situated on a prominent point of the margin. Margin 

 coarsely serrate for some distance laterad of the lobes. Two simple or slightly 

 divided squames between the median lobes ; two, deeply fringed, between 

 median and second lobes ; three between second and third lobes ; and a series 

 of six or seven, fringed on their outer sides, laterad of the third lobe. A pair 

 of small spines at base of each lobe; a fourth pair on each side on a prominent 

 point shortly beyond the last lobe ; a fifth in a small cleft immediately beyond 

 the last squame ; and a sixth at base of pygidium. Circumgenital glands in 

 four groups ; upper laterals with from six to eleven ; lower laterals with from 

 four to six orifices. Tubular spinnerets of the filiform type, long and delicate, 

 but unusually conspicuous, opening on to the extreme margin {fig. 11) ; nearer 

 the extremity are broader trumpet-shaped ducts, also opening on to the margin. 

 Length 075 to i mm. Breadth 0*50 to 075 mm. 



Adult male reddish {fig. 5), or pale yellow with reddish apodema {fig. 5, a) ; 

 the darker variety was bred from specimens occurring on Dalbergia, the paler 

 on tea. Body depressed, rather broad, abdomen short. Genital spike long and 

 slender, nearly half length of body. Ocelli black ; upper pair marginal ; lower 

 pair central and contiguous {fig. 14) ; a minute colourless tubercle on each side 

 immediately behind the upper ocelli represents the true eye. Antennae hairy ; 

 nearly as long as body ; two basal joints short ; third joint longest ; subsequent 

 joints gradually decreasing in length to ninth ; tenth a little longer than ninth, 



H 



