10 • SCIENCE BULLETIN, No. 18. 



Pulvinaria maskelli, OllifE (Fig 5). 



Agric. Gazette, N.S.Wale-s, vol. ii, p. 667, 1891, and vol. iii, pi. iv, f. 8, p. 176, 1892. 

 Signoretia airiplices. Mask. Tran.i. N. Zealand Inst., vol. xxiv, p. 23. 1892. 

 Pulvinaria maskelli. Mask. Trans. N. Zealand Inst., vol. xxvii, p. 76, 1893. 

 Pulvinaria maskelli, var. spinosior. Trans. N. Zealand Inst., p. 78, 1902. 



This is the common scale upon several species of Atriplex and Rhagodia 



(" saltbushes '"), valuable fodder plants that cover immense areas in the 



inland districts of Australia. When plentiful, the scale spreads all over the 



leaves and branchlets, and does a great deal of damage to the host plant. 



Adult female with ovisac measuring up to J inch in length, but usually 

 smaller, the coccid reddish brown to lighter yellowish tints ; elongate, ovate, 

 convex above, very much wrinkled and narrow in front in dried specimens, 

 with the hind margins fitting round the fiont margin of the ovisac in wi inkle d 

 shell-like plates; without the ovisac, about ^ inch in length. Antenna; 

 eight-jointed; third and fourth longest ; legs well developed; the margin of 

 the body showing small spines ; the epidermis covered with a great number 

 of tubular spinnerets. Ovisac white, compact, cylindrical, showing very 

 slight parallel impressions, front margins fitting close to the female ; apex 

 rounded. 



Male puparium composed of white waxy secretion, elongate, ovate in 

 form, convex, and truncate behind ; the anal setae of the delicate two-winged 

 male sticking out through the hole in the centre of this flattened lid or cover. 



This soft scale is fortunately infested by a number of active parasites 

 that keep it in check; among them is the small green lace-wing Chrysopha 

 rumburi, and several species of the larvae of the scale-eating moths of the 

 genus ThalpocJmris. 



Maskell has described a second form under the name of var. spinosior. It 

 was found upon the foliage of the Desert Cypress [Frenella rohiista), and 

 differs in the typical form in the more narrow o^^sac and the large spines on 

 the margins of the body. Other specimens of this variety come from Rich- 

 mond, New South Wales, found upon a Pittosporum. 



Mr. C. French, junr., sends me small specimens of this variety on the stems 

 of Hymenanthera dentata from the Mallee scrub, Noith-west Victoiia. 



672. Pidvinaria masl'elU. Cat. Coccidee, p. 135. 



Pidvinaria nuytsice, Maskell. 

 Trans. N. Zealand Inst., vol. xxix, p. 313. 1897. 

 Pulvinaria nuystioe. Trans. Ent. Soc, London, p. 458. 1890. 

 Ctenochiton nuytsia. Fuller, Journ. of Dep. of Agriculture, West Australia, p. 1345. 

 1897. 



Described from specimens collected on the foliage and twigs of Nuytsia 

 florabmida, Perth, Western Australia. Fuller described the male scales as 

 Ctenochiton, but corrected his mistake in the later paper. Fuller also 



