FeVjiuary, 1SL)2. 1 29 



A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF ALEURODIDjE. 

 BY ALBEET C. F. MOBGAIS", F.L.S. 



I received from Mr. Douglas some leaves of Anona muricata^ 

 forwarded by Mr. Jenman, Superintendent of the Botanic Garden at 

 George Town, Demerara, which were abundantly covered on the under- 

 side w^ith a white, silky, flocculent substance. In the midst of this 

 material were to be seen some insects with four snowy-white wrings, 

 and it was thought that these might prove to be the Alei/rodes* cocois 

 described by Curtis (Gard. Chron., 1846, p. 284). Subsequently, Mr. 

 Douglas sent me some leaves of B,ichaTdia pacijica, also from Deme- 

 rara, besides some leaves of the cofFee-plant from the same locality, 

 both of which were much covered with a white flocculent substance, 

 similar to that on the Anona muricata. 



Examining first the coffee-plant leaves, I found a difficulty in dis- 

 solving the flocculent matter, which would not subject itself, or at least 

 but imperfectly, to the action either of alcohol or heat. Embedded in 

 this substance I found a mandibulated insect, with four wings and six 

 legs, the tarsus with one dentate claw and two digitules, body pilose. 

 I apprehend that this insect, probably a SemeroUus, was predaceous 

 on the original inhabitant of the secreted substance. Besides this 

 insect there was buried in the white flocculent material one of the 

 Coccinellidce (black), which family is well known to be predaceous on 

 Coccid(B, but I could not find any Homopterous insect, which probably 

 had already been devoured by its enemies. On the Bichardia, however, 

 I found an insect similar to that mentioned above as found on the 

 Anona, and besides this, somewhat to my surprise, I found two male 

 winged species of CoccidcB, obviously of the Diaspina group, but in 

 the absence of the female I am unable to determine the species. 1 

 have since received from the same source some leaves of the cocoa-nut 

 palm, on which I find an insect similar to that on the Anona and 

 MicJiardia, but very much smaller, in fact, about half the size, and it is 

 upon these two species, both the larger and the smaller, that I propose 

 to offer a few observations. 



Keaumur (Mem. tom., ii, vii, pi. 25) describes the life-history of 

 an insect on the cabbage, which Prof. Westwood considers to be 

 Aleurodes chelidonii, and of which the larvae and pupae are said to 

 be devoured by a Coleopterous larva belonging to the Coccinellidae. 



* Burmeister (Handb. d. Entomol., ii, p. 82 ri83ol ) says :--" Latreille's Orthographie Aley- 

 rodes muss in Aleurodes verwandelt werden."— J. W. D. 



D 



