244) 



SUCKING INSECTS. 



observation. It flies in search of a female, mates and dies. Sooner oi' 

 later the female produces egg-s in turn aud dies. 



.i%: 



Fia. 293. 

 The Red-sjjulted Scale {left) and Black Shield Scale (^riffltt). 



The whole life history may be very short or the adult female may 

 live for many montlis before producing* egg's. 

 In some cases the egg's remain unhatched for 

 a long period, awaiting favourable conditions. 

 A curious feature of these insects is the frequent 

 absence of males altogether ; there may 

 be none for many generations and in some 

 species no males have yet been found. In 

 others there are as many or more males than 

 females. 



Food-plants. — There are many species in 

 India which attack a variety of plants. The 

 coffee plant suffers from the notorious Brown 

 Bug-,^ the Green Bug ^ and a Mealy Bug.'^ 

 The first of these is scattered almost tiirough- 

 (tf Southern India, and ('!iius(\s a la,rge amount 



Fig. 294. 

 Scale Insects on a leaf. 



out the coffee distric 



of damage. It has been successfully treated by 



* Lecanium hemispharicum. T. T. | ^ Zecaniiim viride. 



^ Dacliflopius ciiri. R. 



spraying, 

 Gr. 



and 



