April, 1887.] 241 



" I think now that the species described by Curtis is an Asptdiotus, and I believe 

 that the species we are studying is the one. The description agrees well with this 

 species, remarkably well for one written at that time ; even the hairs on the sides of 

 the female figured by Curtis are represented by tubular spinnerets in the position 

 indicated. Signoret evidently made a mistake in his determination ; fortunately the 

 two insects belong to different genera, so that there need be no change of specific 

 names. I am very glad to have this matter cleared up, for I have never been satisfied 

 with Signoret's determination. 



" Aspidiotus ostrecBformis, Curtis (as we now understand it), resembles my A. 

 juglans-regicE very closely ; I expect that my name will prove to be a synonym. 

 ' The scales on apple, cherry and locust (see my report for 1880, p. 301) are smaller 

 than those I found in California on English walnut, and are darker, and there are 

 very slight differences in the margin of the last segment of the female ; but I am 

 inclined to believe that the form on walnut is a climatic or phytophagic variety of 

 A. ostreceformis." 



This opinion of one who is so good an authority is, I think, very 

 satisfactory, 



Parlatoria Proteus. 

 Aspidiotus Proteus, Curt., Gardeners' Chronicle, 1843, p. 676 and fig. 

 Farlatoria orbicularis, Targ.-Tozz. Cat., 42 (1868). 



Farlatoria Proteus, Sign., Ess. Cochin., 132, pi. 5, fig. 5 (1869) ; Comst., Report, 

 1883, p. 114, 96, pi. ii, fig. 7, la, pi. iv, fig. 3. 



The genus Parlaforia, one of the most remarkable of the sub- 

 family Diaspina, primarily indicated by Targioni-Tozzetti for two 

 species, Aspid. Proteus, Curt., and Coccus ziziphi, Lucas, was first 

 characterized by Signoret from the same species in part 5 of his " Essai 

 sur les Cochinelles," published in the "Annales " of the Entomological 

 Society of France, 1S69, as follows -. — 



" $ . Scale long, narrow at the base, then abruptly enlarged, exuviae rounded- 

 oval. Only four groups of spinnerets. The margin of the anal segment as if 

 erenulated, and having some plate-like scales in each of the emarginations. On the 

 surface, near the margin, two rows of isolated spinnerets. (J scales of the same 

 colour as that of the $ , and much smaller." 



The most important generic character is the structure of the outer margin of 

 the last segment of the abdomen of the female, namely, three large lobes, and 

 normally, a fourth smaller, on each side of the median, each bearing a basal spine, 

 separated by deep emarginations, in each of which are flat plates, oblong, parallel- 

 sided, as long as the lobes, their extremity having an acicular fringe, viz., two 

 between the median lobes, two between the 1st and 2nd, and tlu'ce between the 2nd 

 and 3rd ; the bases of the lobes connected by crescent-shaped thickenings of the 

 integument. Between the 3rd and 4th lobes three plates varying in form. On the 

 lateral margins of the three preceding segments, as well as some on the margin of 

 the last beyond the lobes, are fringed plates, usually palmate, but varying in form 

 and number from five to ten. 



