October, '10] BARBER ON COCCID.E 423 



year round. The wide range of food offered by the large variety of 

 plants, the humidity of the atmosphere, which tends to keep condi- 

 tions at an optimum for both plant and insect growth, the small 

 annual range of temperature, all result in the production of a large 

 and varied insect fauna. 



This is especially the case with the Coccidse. These insects are for 

 the most part so small and inconspicuous that they are easily intro- 

 duced when importing foreign plants of every description. With the 

 number of plants which have been imported into Audubon Park it 

 would naturally be expected that a large number of scale insects 

 would have been introduced with them, and this expectation is reahzed 

 when one comes to examine the plants closely. Almost all the plants 

 reveal the presence of one or more scale insects, and some of them 

 can be found burdened with four or five species. Of course many of 

 these scale insects are identical, that is, the same scale is often found 

 on a large variety of plants, but even then, an unusually varied 

 assortment may be noticed. 



The excretions of scale insects and aphids form the chief food of the 

 Argentine ant {Iridomyrmex humilis Mayr.) in the parks and squares 

 where large numbers of plants abound, and the attention of the 

 writer was first called to the number and variety of coccids by the 

 vast numbers of these ants which can be seen assiduously attending 

 them. The following list represents the more common species, but 

 this can no doubt be added to extensively by going over the flora of 

 the park more carefully and systematically than the WTiter has been 

 enabled to do with. the time at his disposal. 



The species are arranged on the system followed by Mrs. Fernald 

 in her " Catalogue of Coccidse." The plants upon which they were 

 collected are given a common name, as far as possible, but when no 

 common name could be found, or where the use of the local common 

 name would tend to cause confusion with different plants bearing 

 the same common name in other localities, the scientific name is given. 



The writer is deeply indebted to Messrs. J. G. Sanders and E. R. 

 Sasscer of the Bureau of Entomology, for determinations of the large 

 amount of material submitted to them through Dr. L. O. Howard at 

 various times. 



List of Coccids Collected at Audubon Park, Xew Orleans, La. 



1. Conchaspis angroeci Ckll. Collected upon Icalpha miltonianay 

 Hibiscus sinensis, Acalypha sanderi. 



2. Lecaniodiaspis sp. Collected upon the fig. 



3. Pseudococcus adonidum L. Collected upon coffee tree (Coffea 

 arahica), jasmine, rubber tree (Ficus elastica), Phyllanthus distiachus, 

 guava {Psidium pomiferum). 



