180 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



(Targioni) may be very near this species. I may remark that on 

 the specimens given to me by Mr. Walter the scales were quite 

 thickly covering the under side of the plant, and from what I 

 could see it would seem to be confined to this one host plant. 



Aspidiotus cladii, Maskell, sp. nov. 



Female puparium rich dark brown, the margin orange-red and 

 the pellicles dark yellow. Four, circular, rather convex ; pellicles 

 central ; diameter about j\ inch. 



Male puparium, similar in colour, but narrower and elongated ; 

 length about ^V i ncn > not carinated. 



Female dark brown, almost black, the abdominal extremity 

 lighter coloured. Form of the usual peg-top shape of the genus, 

 shrivelling at gestation. Abdomen acuminate, ending in four 

 small terminal lobes and another pair rather higher up. Margin 

 serrated, bearing at each side two rather long hairs. A few hairs 

 also on the cephalic segments. No groups of spinnerets, but a 

 few small single orifices. 



Adult male unknown. 



This is a very handsome and distinct species — it being, owing 

 to its bright colours, very conspicuous. During a trip to the 

 Wimmera district I found this species to be very common around 

 Dimboola and Nhill, where the Cladium rushes, which in these 

 parts are common on flat ground, are covered with them, so 

 thickly indeed that very little of the surface of the rush is visible, 

 at least from a little distance. When this scale attacks one of 

 the rushes, they seem to swarm on to the leaves in great numbers, 

 and immense numbers of the rushes have thus been killed by 

 them. Fortunately, however, this insect would seem to be 

 peculiar to this one plant, as a very careful search failed to reveal 

 the presence of a single scale of this species on any other plant 

 save the Cladium ; and should this theory hold good, the grower, 

 we hope, may have little to fear from this new pest. 



Aspidiotus rossi, Crawford, sp. nov. 



Female puparium normally circular, very slightly convex, 

 colour a dull deep brown, almost black, fading into a lighter 

 shade at the edge ; pellicles central, small, forming a little boss, 

 which is sometimes yellowish. Diameter of puparium averaging 

 about -I'-g- inch, but varying a good deal. When on narrow 

 leaves the form is sometimes irregular, oblong or elliptical. 



Male puparium slightly elongate ; smaller and lighter in colour 

 than that of the female. 



Adult female of the normal peg-top form ; dark orange, often 

 dark brown, in colour. Abdomen somewhat acuminate, the 

 margin having a rather deeply serrate appearance, with six 

 floriated terminal lobes, beyond which are three very small 

 denticulate lobules ; a few serrated scaly hairs. Four groups of 



