December, '09] journal op economic entomology 445 



wild trees and shrubs, is quite convex in form with irregular, varying 

 rugosities and pits in the hard brown derm of the adult or dead 

 female. Various fuscous transverse and longitudinal markings are 

 evident on the young adult female scale before oviposition in early 

 summer. These markings rapidly disappear at her death and darker 

 brown suffuses the derm, leaving sometimes a trace of fuscous on the 

 dorsum. 



The cleared derm appears brownish, antennae 6 or 7-segmented, 

 usually the latter; legs well developed, ordinary; anal plates heavily 

 chitinized, together forming nearly a square; 6 large and 2 small 

 hairs, on the anal ring; marginal spines rather short and stout 

 18-24 nimni. in length ; spiracular spines variable, rather slender, the 

 shorters ones 30-40 mnim. and the middle one 50-60 mmm. in length. 

 The cleared derm shows extra heavy chitinization of the regions along 

 the anterior margin extending inward toward the antennse, and also 

 of the posterior lobes near, the cleft. The characteristic general ar- 

 rangement of the many derm pores in very irregular, broken and 

 interrupted radiating rows, is especially noticeable near the margin. 

 In some specimens this character is not so marked. 



This species occurs widely in North America on a very great range 

 of mostly deciduous trees and shrubs. In a few instances it has 

 become of economic importance, but not for long on account of its 

 control by natural enemies and parasites. This species determined 

 under various names threatened the plum orchards of New York state 

 a few years ago, and more recently has been occasionally reported 

 from various states of the middle-west as a pest on elm, mulberry, 

 osage-orange and linden. 



The range of this species includes practically every state in the 

 Union, and its host-plant list is lengthy ; the more important hosts are 

 plum, peach, apricot, pear, currant, blackberry, mulberry, osage- 

 orange, elm, ash. linden, pecan, maple, Cornus, etc. 



The Oak Lecanium 



Lecanium quercifex Fitch 



Plate 19, Fig. 9 



Lecanium quercifex Fitch, 5th Rep. Ins. N. Y., p. 25 (1859). 

 Lecanium quevcitronis Fitcli, 5th Rep. Ins. N. Y., p. 25 (1859). 

 Lecanium antennatiim Sign., Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. (5), III, p. 413 (1873). 

 Lecanium pruinosum var. kermoides Tyrrell, Rep. Cal. Exp. Sta., p. 256 

 (1896). 



Fitch's two species were described from white and black oak respec- 



