Dactylopiince. 365 



Male puparium (see fig. i) pure white ; narrow, about twice as long as 

 broad ; posterior extremity open. Length 175 mm. 



Other stages not observed. 



On under surface of leaves of Strobilanthes sp. ; Pedrotalagala (7000 ft.), 

 Nuera Eliya ; March. 



The variety tenuispina was observed only on the isolated Namunakuli Hill 

 (Badulla District), at about the same elevation. 



The plants were so thickly infested by the insect that the leaves were wilted 

 and falling off. Some of the plants appeared to be dying from the attack. A 

 sooty fungus accompanied the insect and smothered the foliage. The female 

 nsects are unusually active and move about with considerable rapidity. 



Although the character and arrangement of the spines is suggestive of the 

 Eriococcina, the abdominal extremity has not the highly chitinous and modified 

 lobes characteristic of that family ; and the terminal joint of the antenna is more 

 like that found in Pseudococcits and its allies. 



E RIO IDES, gen. nov. 



Adult female enclosed in a tough felted case, with an opening at the posterior 

 extremity. Terminal segments of abdomen with dense groups of spines on the 

 dorsum. Antenna seven-jointed ; terminal joint elongate. Limbs well developed. 

 Anal ring with six very long curling seta;, much longer than those of the caudal 

 lobes. 



Type, cuneiformis. 



Synopsis of Species. 



A. Adult female enclosed in a cuneiform case : on surface of leaves cuneifonjiis. 



B. Adult female enclosed in an irregular case : in crevices of bark riniulcc. 



ERIOIDES CUNEIFORMIS, iiov. 

 (Plate CXLV.) 



Puparium (or ovisac) of adult female {fig. 4) white externally, often dis- 

 coloured by a deposit of black fungus, pale buff within. Broad behind, tapering 

 to a fine point at anterior extremity; indented at posterior extremity, where 

 there is an aperture through which the waxy abdominal processes of the insect 

 project ; irregularly wrinkled transversely. Closely felted and tough. Length 

 3"o to 3"5o mm. Breadth across broadest part about 2'o mm. 



Adult female at first olivaceous {fig. 7) ; changing with age to slaty purple 

 {fig. 5). At first approximately parallel-sided, the cephalic extremity only nar- 

 rowed {fig. 7) ; later, shrivelling in front and becoming gradually contracted 



