18 SCIENCE BULLETIN, No. 18. 



Genus XVIII. Ceroplastes, Gray. 



Spicilegia Zoolojica, p. 7, pi. iii, figs. 6-7. 1830. 

 S:gnorct, Ann. Soc. Ent. France (5), vol. ii, p. 35. 1872. 

 Maskell, Trans. N. Zealand Inst., vol. xxv, p. 214. 1892. 

 Green, Coccidce of Ceylon, Part iv, p. 268. 1909. 



The coccids included in this genus are popularly known as " wax scales " 

 from the large amount of waxy, or, rather, greasy white secretion encrusting 

 the adult females. This material is exuded by the female larvge as soon as 

 they attach themselves to the bark or foliage, and it accumulates with the 

 growth of the coccid until at the adult stage it consists of a mass several 

 times larger than the coccid beneath. The male puparia are very laie, 

 but in the one species where they have been identified they have the glassv 

 box-shaped characters of the male Lecanium. 



The adult female, removed from the enfolding secretion, is more or less 

 hemispherical in form, allied to the Lecanid type, but often much softer ; in 

 most cases furnished with six-jointed antennae, of which the third is the 

 longest, and with well developed legs ; the derm, or skin, without any special 

 characteristic markings. 



The female is very prolific, large numbers of rounded eggs accumulating 

 beneath the coccid, and as she withers up the wax hardens and the minute 

 larvae crawl out and quickly infest the foliage. 



This genus seems to be sub-tropical ; of the sixty species described, most of 

 them come from Mexico and South Amer ca ; others from Africa and India ; 

 one species is described from Australia, but it is very probable that its native 

 home is Ceylon. 



Ceroplastes ceriferus, Anderson (Fig. 9). 



Coccus ceriferus, Monog. Cocci ceriferi. 1791. 



Ceroplastes chilensis. Gray, Spicilegia Zoologica, p. 7. 1830. 



„ australice. Walker, Cat. Brit. Mus. Homoptera, vol. iv, p. 1087. 1852. 



„ ceriferus. Sign., Ann. Soc. Ent. France (5), vol. ii, p. 40. 1872. 



„ „ Mask., Trans. X. Zealand Inst., vol. xxv, p. 216. 1892. 



„ „ Green, Coccidce of Ceylon, Part iv, p. 270. 1909. 



The species is very common in Australia, where it is generally known as 

 the " White Wax " or " Indian Wax Scale." Introduced at a very early 

 date with ornamental shrubs from India or Ceylon, it has spread all over the 

 garden plants, and from them into the waste lands and orchards. In the 

 waste lands it has a great preference for the " native blackthorn " (Btisaiia 

 <mnifera), but it is also found on many other plants and trees. In the 

 orchard it chiefly infests citrus trees, but it is particularly fond of the persim- 

 mon, sometimes infesting every twig and branchlet if neglected. Aduit 

 female reddish brown (in the earlier stages varying from pink to rich red); 



