90 Transactions. — Zoology. 



only one of which it is stated that the ants when disturbed 

 carry it away for shelter with their own eggs. In the case of 

 the others, I take it that, living as they do naturally under- 

 ground, they would sometimes be found close to or within an 

 ant's nest amongst the roots of plants. 



Dactylopius eucalypti, Maskell. 



Mr. Tepper, in the South Australian publication, " Garden 

 and Field," November, 1892, says that this species in that 

 part of Australia is on Eucalyptus rostrata, not on E. amygda- 

 lina, which is apparently not a South Australian tree. 



Dactylopius affinis, sp. nov. Plate VIII., figs. 17, 18. 



Adult female pinkish or yellowish, without any dark dorsal 

 band, powdered with thin white meal on the dorsum; form 

 elliptical, rather flat, distinctly segmented ; length from about 

 |-in. to lin. At each side of the body are a number of project- 

 ing cylindrical slender cottony filaments, the length of which 

 varies in different specimens. Sometimes these are very short 

 and scanty, at others nearly half as long as the width of the 

 body. Two on the cephalic extremity are always the shortest, 

 and two on the abdominal extremity are always the longest, 

 with a short pencil of cotton between these last. At gestation 

 the insect forms a small thin white posterior ovisac. 



Antennse of eight joints, of which the eighth is the longest, 

 then the third, second, and first ; the fourth, sixth, and 

 seventh are the shortest and equal to each other ; the fifth is 

 longer than the fourth, and nearly as long as the first. All 

 the joints bear several hairs. Feet moderately long and 

 slender, very slightly pubescent ; tarsus scarcely more than a 

 third of the length of the tibia ; digitules four, slender. 

 Mentum conical, dimerous. Epidermis bearing a few minute 

 hairs and a number of small circular spinnerets. Anal ring 

 compound, with six hairs. Anal tubercles small and incon- 

 spicuous, setiferous, and bearing several glandular pores. 



Larva yellow, elongated, flattish, active ; length about 

 Jg^in. x^ntennse of six joints, the first five short and subequal, 

 the last as long as any three others. Feet moderate ; the 

 tibia shorter than the tarsus. Anal tubercles inconspicuous. 

 Mentum conical, dimerous. Eyes conspicuous, brown. 



Male unknown. 



Hah. In Australia, on tubers of Dahlia and potato, under- 

 ground. Specimens sent by Mr. Olliff, from Sydney. 



It has been necessary to enter into minute details of the 

 structure of this insect, as in many respects it is very closely 

 allied to known species. It is very near to D. adojiidiim, 

 Linn. ; D. citri, Boisduval ; D. cypcri, Sign. ; D. ptcridis, 

 Sign. ; D. vitis, Niedielski ; D. longifilis, Comstock ; and others. 



