56 Aspidiotus. 



ASPIDIOTUS OCCULTUS, Green. 



(Plate XI.) 



Aspidiotus occultus, Green, ' Catalogue of Coccida;,' Ind. Miis. Notes, 

 Vol. IV. No. I (1S96). 



A very small species, forming minute rounded galls on the upper surface 

 of leaves of Grewia orientalis {/ig. 5). Although the galls appear on the upper 

 surface, the insects are in reality placed on the under surface, at first forming 

 depressions as in A. puteariiis, but in the present species the process is carried 

 further by the formation of a cell, which almost completely encloses the insect. 

 Occasionally two individuals occupy a single cell. 



Female puparium represented externally by an ochreous scale closing the 

 aperture of the gall {fig. 6). A whitish film lining the cavity may be taken to 

 represent the ventral scale. The pellicles do not appear on the surface, but lie 

 within the gall {fig. 7). The second pellicle is very large, sometimes as large 

 as, or even larger, than the adult insect, in this respect approaching the genus 

 Aonidia. The aperture of the gall, opening on the under surface of the leaf, 

 is surrounded by a prominent irregularly lobed rim {figs. 6 and 7). Diameter 

 of gall from 0*50 to 075 mm. 



Male puparium occupying shallow depressions on the under surface of the 

 leaf ; oval, flat ; transparent, very pale reddish yellow ; pellicle, bright yellow 

 {fi&- 8). Size about 1x075 mm. 



Adult female broadly pyriform ; flattish or slightly concave above, median 

 dorsal area distinctly depressed {fig. 10) ; highly convex below, almost hemi- 

 spherical {fig. 9). The insect usually lies sideways in the gall {fig. 7). Colour 

 pale yellow ; terminal segment brownish, with the median lobes dark brown. 

 Eyes minute, black, on dorsal surface. No parastigmatic glands. Anterior 

 stigmata situated very far forward. Pygidium with six lobes ; the median pair 

 long and prominent, tricuspid ; others much smaller, emarginate on their outer 

 sides. Long and deeply fringed squames between and beyond the lobes. No 

 circumgenital glands. A few very inconspicuous filiform tubular spinnerets 

 opening on the margin. Anal aperture about half way between genital aperture 

 and extremity. Diameter averaging o"5o mm. 



Adult male {fig. i) bright yellow, apodema very pale reddish ; broad, rather 

 depressed ; wing ample and long ; genital spike more than half length of body. 

 Ocelli black, lower pair not contiguous {fig. 2), Antennae hairy, ten-jointed ; 

 third joint longest ; tenth longer than penultimate, tapering to a point, a single 

 knobbed hair at apex and two at side {fig. 3). Foot with four digitules {fig. 4); 

 tarsus much shorter than tibia. Total length o'So mm., including genital spike, 

 which measures o"30 mm. 



Neither eggs nor young larvte were observed within the galls. 



