1 62 Parlatoria. 



PARLATORIA, Targ. 



In this genus the puparium of the female may be either sub-circular, ovoid, 

 or elongate. The pellicles are partially overlapping and placed vi'ithin the 

 margin, at or towards the anterior extremity. In some few species the puparium 

 consists principally of the large second pellicle, with only a very small 

 secretionary supplement {aofiidtformis, and the European species zizyphi). In 

 others there is a large secretionary area supplementing the pellicles. 



The male puparium is oblong and rather narrow ; sides sub-parallel, with a 

 median depression on the posterior half. The single pellicle placed at the 

 anterior extremity. Secretionary area usually of somewhat the same colour and 

 character as that of the female scale, but intermediate in this respect between 

 the two groups of which Aspidiotus and Diaspis may be taken as typical 

 genera. 



In the adult female the most prominent characters are a fringe of fimbriate 

 processes upon th^ margin of the pygidium and abdominal segments, and a 

 marginal series of conspicuous semi-lunar pores, with thickened rims, communi- 

 cating with stout cylindrical ducts. The abdominal segments merge gradually 

 into the pygidium, and it is rather difficult to define the actual boundaries of 

 this compound terminal segment, though the usual main divisions can be dis- 

 tinguished. For descriptive purposes it will be convenient to consider the 

 fourth abdominal segment as representing the base of the pygidium. The 

 median parts of the pygidium are usually more strongly chitinous than the 

 marginal area, and appear of a darker colour in mounted preparations. 

 Circumgenital glands usually in four groups ; the missing median group rarely 

 represented by a few isolated pores. The fimbriate processes are of the nature 

 of squames, being connected with very delicate filiform spinneret ducts. There 

 are normally six prominent single lobes at the extremity of the pygidium ; and 

 Professor Comstock has drawn attention to two smaller processes at intervals 

 on the sides, which he considered to be rudimentary lobes. That such is the case 

 is corroborated by the fact that in one of our Ceylon species {P. aonidiforinis) 

 one or more of these processes is not infrequently developed into a normal lobe. 

 It is to the position of these rudimentary lobes that we must look for a clue to 

 the boundaries of the suppressed segments. The dorsal pores, being more 

 uniformly distributed, do not help us very much to a clear comprehension of 

 the natural divisions. The large marginal semi-lunar pores appear to be inter- 

 segmental. I am inclined to take the boundary of each space at a point 

 dividing the semi-lunar pores, and separating the two fimbriate squames that 

 arise from them. Thus the mesal space will taper to a point meeting the 

 margin between the median squames. Starting from the middle, the marginal 

 dorsal characters of the first lateral space will be a dorsal squame, a lobe, a 

 small spine, and a lateral squame. The second lateral space will bear, in order, 



