SCALE INSECTS (" COCCID^ ") OF AUSTRALIA. 



2t^ 



circular mass, which resembles a rock-melon flattened on the summit, from 

 one-sixth to one-eighth of an inch in diameter. When thickly encrusting 

 the bark of the stems or twigs they often run into each other, and the 

 shape may be altered, but they always have the same ribbed structure. 



Maskell points out that this species might be easily mistaken for a Cerop- 

 lastes, from this regularity of form. 



The enclosed adult female is dark red, of the usual globular form, with the 

 air or lac tubes, spine and ti]) of abdomen fringed with fine hairs. 



614. Tachardiae decorella. Cat. Coccidse, p. 124. 



Tachardia melalettcae, Maskell (Fig. 19). 



Tram. New Zealand Institute, vol. xxiv, p. 54, 1891, and vol. xxv, p. 249, 1902. 



This species was originally described by Maskell from Victoria, upoR 

 Melaleuca nncincta, and an undetermined species of Eucalypttis; was found 

 in South Australia upon M. fustulata and 

 Astera axillaris, while Fuller records it from 

 Swan River, West Australia. I have found this 

 insect upon the young twigs of Leptopermu7)i 

 jlavescens, at Liverpool, New South Wales, and 

 other places near Sydney ; it evidently has a 

 wide range over Australia. Thev produce a 

 quantity of very dark red or purple resinous 

 matter, which may be scattered about on the 

 branchlets in some globular lumps, or running 

 together through the quantity of female coccids, 

 working upon the twig, forming irregular masses. 

 On the outside of these lumps may often be 

 noticed small quantities of white cottony fibre. 



Maskell says that the adult female is much 

 larger than the previous species, and that the 

 cephalic region is covered with little patches 

 of subcylindrical tubes, from which the white 

 cottony fibre is produced. 



621. 

 p. 125. 



Tachardia melalencae. Cat. Coccidae, 



Fig. 19.— rocAordia melakveae. 



