296 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 2 



A PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE COCCIDAE OF 

 WISCONSIN 



By Harry C. Severin and Hexry H. P. Severix, DJfl Grove St., Milicaukee, Wis. 



Very little has been done on the Coccidte of Wisconsin, and, with 

 the exception of the nursery and orchard inspector's reports, scarcely 

 any references are to be found in literature on this important economic 

 group of insects occurring in this state. The following list of 

 scale insects is not intended as a complete enumeration of the Coc- 

 cidae to be found in Wisconsin, but is presented simply as a pre- 

 liminary to the study of this fauna. All of the species listed were, 

 with one exception, collected by the writers during the year 1908 in 

 Milwaukee County. We have omitted the Eulecaniuras in this paper, 

 preferring to delay the publication of the species belonging to this 

 genus, which we have collected, until Mr. J. G. Sanders, who is revis- 

 ing the genus, may have completed his work. 



It is the plan of the writers to publish later an illustrated manual 

 with keys and descriptions for the species to be found in Wisconsin. 

 It is hoped that this paper may interest collectors in various parts 

 •of the state, without whose assistance this work can progress but 

 slowly. Any assistance in the way of specimens occurring in the 

 state will be thankfully received and proper credit will be given to 

 the collectors. 



Little trouble need be experienced in collecting or preparing scale 

 insects to be sent through the mails. As a rule the out-of-door Coc- 

 cidae are to be found cliiefly on the smaller twigs and branches of 

 shrubs and trees in this region ; yet some may be found on the leaves 

 of trees, as on the evergreens, on the roots of plants or in the nests 

 of ants. The indoor scale insects, or the scale insects which infest 

 our conservatories, have been introduced into this state from warmer 

 climates and may be found not only on all parts of trees and shrubs 

 but upon herbaceous plants as well. As a general rule it is best to 

 gather portions of an infested plant with .the insects in situ and to pre- 

 serve these in the dry condition. At times, however, as with the 

 softer species of Coccids, alcoholic material is often useful, but even 

 in such instances it should always be supplemented with dry speci- 

 mens. It cannot be too strongly urged that when possible, plenty 

 of material should always be taken. For, while the better known 

 species can usually be recognized from an examination of the super- 

 ficial characters of a few specimens or even of a single scale, less 

 known species or new species require quite a number of specimens, 



