320 , Transactions. — Zoology. 



Genus Dactylopius. 



Dactylopius ceriferus, Newstead. Ind. Mus. Notes, vol. iii., 

 1894, p. 24. 



I have this species from Japan, China, and the Sandwich 

 Islands, on Psidium and other plants, sent by Mr. Koebele. 



Mr. Green mentioned, in Ind. Mus. Notes, vol. iv., 1896, 

 p. 6, a species, D. talini, which he since considers identical 

 with D. ceriferus. Mr. Newstead separates his insect from 

 D. filamentosus, Cockerell, only by the eight-jointed antenna. 

 I think that this is scarcely sufficient, seeing that some species 

 of the genus vary in this respect. But the characters of the 

 feet, and the apparent absence of glassy filaments from D. 

 filamentosus (in spite of its name), would be distinguishing 

 characters. 



No mention is made by Mr. Newstead of the male, nor by 

 Mr. Green up to the present time. Amongst a mass of females 

 from Japan I found one mutilated male. The colour is brown, 

 with iridescent wings ; the antennae have ten joints, the last 

 of which bears three knobbed hairs ; the posterior setae are 

 very long, two from each side ; and the sheath of the penis is 

 short and subconical. 



Dactylopius aurilanatus, Maskell. 



During a late visit to Auckland I found that this species 

 has spread and increased with terrible rapidity, and that it is 

 doing immense mischief to all the varieties of Araiicaria in 

 that place. Indeed, many fine trees have been hopelessly 

 injured by it, especially in the gardens of Government House. 

 The species has also spread to California. 



Dactylopius sacchari, Cockerell. Jour. Trinidad Field Nat. 



Club, 1895. 



In June, 1896, Mr. Lounsbury forwarded to me from Cape- 

 town some Coccids, as to which he desired my opinion. They 

 had been sent to him from Mauritius, by Mr. Nash, manager 

 of the Oriental Estates Company in that island, on pieces of th6 

 root of sugar-cane. It appears that these insects are usually 

 in company with Icerya seychellarum, and the two species 

 are confounded by the residents under the name of the "Pou 

 blanc." Both have white cottony secretion, but, of course, are 

 quite distinct. It is not easy, in view of the confusion which 

 has thus grown round this name, to make out whether the 

 injury done to the cane by Coccids is to be set down in any 

 great extent to the work of the Dactylopms ; but, as will be 

 seen presently, if we judge by its effects elsewhere, probably 

 this insect is only responsible for the smaller portion of the 

 harm done, and the Icerya is the principal offender. 



