337 



V THE APHID OF TEA, COFFEE AND CACAO {TOXOPTERA COFFEAE, 



NIETNER). 



By Fred. V. Theobald. 



Nietner in 1880 (" The Coffee Tree and its Enemies ") described an Aphis from coffee 

 found in Ceylon and Java as Aphis coffeae. The description is as follows : — " Both 

 sexes naked, shiny pitch-black with whitish rostrum and legs and greenish abdomen. 

 The rostrum reaches beyond the base of the second pair of legs. The antennae are 

 7-jointed, the first, second and sixth being short, the rest long, the two basal joints 

 are black, the rest are whitish, black towards apex. Legs with femora and tarsi 

 nearly black, tibiae nearly white, hind legs with base of tibiae slightly curved. 

 Male four-wmged, with black stigma in the upper ones. Female apterous. 

 Abdomen in both sexes 2-corniculate and with an anal tube. Size moderate. 

 Young individuals light coloured." Apparently the male and female described refer 

 to the alate viviparous and apterous viviparous female. 



In Vol. II, No. 7, of the " Indian Museum Notes " (1891-93, pp. 34r-35), Buckton 

 described an Aphid sent him by Mr. E. E. Green in 1890, which attacked yoimg 

 tea plants in Ceylon, sometimes doing considerable injury. E. C. Cotes WTites 

 as follows : — " According to Mr. Green's account, published in the Ceylon 

 * Independent ' newspaper, both the winged and wingless forms are found in great 

 numbers on the young succulent shoots in nurseries, and the irritation which 

 they set up causes the edges of the leaves to curl and become distorted. . . . 

 The insect is attended by ants." 



Buckton examined these insects and sent the following note on the subject :— 

 " The Ceylon Tea Aphis appears to be anomalous and undescribed, and the form 

 has no representative in Europe, as far as I know. In the general appearance of 

 the body, the antennae and the cornicles, it follows the genus Aphis, but the 

 single furcation of the cubital vein sharply separates it from that genus, and in 

 this particular it more nearly follows Schizonetira. I presume, however, that the 

 Tea Aphis neither rolls leaves nor forms galls, neither has it a flocculent covering. 

 The lower wing also shows some modification in the disposition of the obhque veins. 

 I think it will be desirable to place this Aphis under a new genus, and for the 

 present I suggest for its name, Ceylonia theaecola, which is trivial and not therefore 

 binding to any particular character." 



The genus and species are described as follows (p. 35) : — 



" Genus Ceylonia. 

 " Antennae long and seven-jointed, third and foui-th joints nearly equal. 

 Cornicles cylindrical and rather long. Upper wings with the cubitus once forked. 

 Stigma large ; obhque veins two. Lower wing with two oblique veins running 

 nearly parallel to each other ; tarsus with one joint." 



" Ceyhnia theaecola, nov. sp. 

 " Colour dark brown to black. Apterous insect, globose, shining, finely 

 punctured. Head square. Antennae long, seven- jointed, ochreous yellow, with 



