58 Aspidiotus. 



ASPIDIOTUS AURANTII, MaskelL 



(Plate XII.) 



Aspidiotus aurantii, Maskell, Trans. N. Z. Instit., 1878, p. 109. 

 Aspidiotus citri, Comstock, Canadian Entomologist., Vol. XIII. p. 8. 

 Aonidiella atirantii, Berlese, Le Cocciniglie Italiane, Part III. p. 212. 



Female puparium circular ; median area convex. Colour pale yellowish 

 grey, semi-transparent, showing the form and colour of the insect beneath it 

 {fig. 2). Pellicles central, reddish, obscured by a layer of secretion ; a small 

 prominent spot and concentric ring of whitish secretion in centre of first pellicle. 

 Ventral scale well developed, adhering to the insect, as does the dorsal scale 

 also, making the extraction of the insect difficult except by dissolving the 

 puparium in caustic potash. Diameter 2 mm. 



Male puparium {Jig. 3) oblong ; dull reddish brown, paler at the margin ; 

 pellicle paler, with a raised spot and concentric ring in the centre. Size i by 

 o'6o mm. 



Adult female dull orange, ventral surface obscured by the adherent whitish 

 ventral scale {fig. 4); flat below, convex above; skin hard and horny; reniform, 

 the abdominal segments retracted and sometimes completely enclosed by the 

 overlapping sides of the thorax {fig. 5). Rostrum in living insect generally 

 pushed to one side {Jig. 4) ; but after treatment with potash it resumes its 

 normal central position. Pygidium {Jig. 11) with six well-developed lobes ; the 

 mesal and second pairs tricuspid, the third usually bicuspid. Squames large 

 and deeply fringed on their lateral margins ; two in each space between the 

 lobes and three beyond ; the first squame laterad of second lobe and those 

 beyond the third lobe all deeply cleft at the extremity, forming two branches, 

 of which the outer one only is fringed, and with a short pointed projection 

 between the two branches {fig. 12). No circumgenital glands. A number of 

 filiform tubular spinnerets opening on the dorsal surface by oval pores arranged 

 in two diagonal series on each side ; a few more opening directly on to the 

 margin near the extremity. Diameter i to 1-50 mm. 



Adult male {fig. 6) orange yellow, apodema dark brown, limbs and antennae 

 almost colourless. Ocelli purple black. Antennae hairy, ten-jointed ; first two 

 joints short, others elongate, increasing to sixth, then decreasing to tenth ; 

 terminal joint {Jig. 10) with three knobbed hairs. Feet of first and second 

 limbs with four knobbed hairs ; hind feet with three knobbed and one simple 

 hair, the latter representing the second ungual digitule ; tarsus about two-thirds 

 length of tibia. Genital spike as long as abdomen. Total length o'8o mm. 



Eggs seldom, if ever, seen ; the larvae shedding the eggshell during or 

 immediately after extrusion. 



Young larvae pale yellow ; broadly oval ; two prominent lobes at posterior 

 extremity, and several marginal papillae and minute squames. 



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