APHIS MALI. 49 



mature ovum happens to be in the oviduct. Colour 

 brownish green, with a ferruginous stain on the head 

 and part of the thorax. Two brown spots occur, like 

 papillae, at the anterior orifice of the vulva. The tail 

 and anal rings are very hirsute. 



Wingless male. 



Inch. Millimetre. 



Size, 0-020 X 0-013 0-50 X 0-33. 



Exceedingly minute, perhaps ^ the size of the female. 

 Head and thorax together nearly as long as the ab- 

 domen. Antennae longer than the body. Legs long, 

 colour ferruginous. This variety of sex has a rostrum 

 almost equal to the entire length of the body, con- 

 sequently the insect takes nourishment and does not 

 pair immediately after its birth, as is the case with 

 some of the non-rostrated males of the PemjpMgince. 

 The male of A. mail is furnished below with two very 

 obvious genito-anal claspers. 



These sexual forms mostly occur in November and 

 December. Dr. Asa Fitch* says that the winged vivi- 

 parous female of the Aphis infesting the apple-trees of 

 North America is invariably black, except on the abdo- 

 men, which is green. Nevertheless, he has no doubt now 

 that the American species is identical with that of 

 Europe, and that it must have been imported simul- 

 taneously with young trees from the East. 



The black eggs of A. mall may be found deeply 

 buried in the crevices of the bark, and these hatch as 

 soon as the spring sap begins to swell off the buds. 

 The young Aphides puncture the backs of the thick 

 fleshy leaves, which pricking causes them to curve 

 backwards from their points, and in this manner safe 

 retreats are formed and shelter from the effects of rain 

 and hot sun. 



Several remedies have been put forward to destroy 

 these pests, which blacken the branches by their voided 



* Fitch, ' On Noxious Insects,' Reports 1 and 2, 1856, p. 60. 

 VOL. II. 4 



