296 



PSYCHE. 



(January, 1902 



macropterous. The caudate condition 

 is extremely rare in G. peunsylvaiiiiiis, 

 common in G. abhreviatus, is found in 

 4 out of the 5 specimens seen of G. 

 assimilis, 5 out of 9 of G. personaius, 



2 out of 7 in G. armatus^ and 6 out of 16 

 in G.firmus. In general it appears to 

 be rather more common in females than 

 in males. 



The crickets retreat, figured in Har- 



27 out of 31 (and so nearly universal) per's Magazine, Vol. 93, p. 693, in prob- 

 in G. integer, i out of 9 in G. vocalis, ably that of G. abbrcviatus. 



A NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS SAISSETIA (COCCIDAE). 



With notes on some of the species of the genus not well understood. 



BY GEORGE B. KING, LAWRENCE, MASS. 



Saissetia nigrella n. sp. 



5 Scale black 3 mm. long, 2^ wide, 2 high 

 very convex, shiny surface smooth margin- 

 ally carinated, texture thick. Of the 20 speci- 

 mens examined all showed and 8 segmentes 

 antenna; variable however, as follows : 

 Segment 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 in ji 

 46-44-48-40-44-2 4-24-5 2 

 4 6-48-60-48-40-2 4-2 4-5 2 

 46-48-5 2-36-40-24-24-52 

 44-44-48-40-44-24-24-52 

 Hind leg: coxa 100; femur with trochanter 

 160 ; tibia 104 ; tarsus So. Marginal spines, 

 club-shaped with split tips 36 X 24 ji long. 

 Digitules of claw 24(1, long with large dilated 

 end. The derm is yellowish brown with 

 irregular oval gland orifices, no irregular 

 plates forming a marquetry pattern as in S. 

 depressa and S. nigra, but the skin seems to 

 be without tessellation. 



Hab. — On Ficus sp. at Tongaar, 

 Natal, South Africa (Fuller No. 7). 



The above species were sent to Prof. 

 Cockerell by Mr. Fuller with several 

 other species of Coccidae. Being the 



only species of Saissetia sent. Prof. 

 Cockerell turned it over to me for study. 

 I wish to say however that it is a very 

 hard species to clear for study, owing to 

 its thick tough skin, which resists the 

 action of caustic potash after prolonged 

 boiling. Superficially it resembles ^S. 

 7iigra but differs from that species by 

 being very much smaller, structurally by 

 the derm not having the marquetry pat- 

 tern with oval gland pits enclosed. 



Saissetia nigra. 



Lecaniiim nigrum Nietner 1861. 



Saissetia depressa. 



Lecaniitm depress nm Targioni 1867. 



The above two species seem to be 

 decidedly mixed, both being considered 

 by some coccidologists as one species, 

 while others believe depressa to be a 

 variety of nigra. Mr. Maskell, Trans. 

 N. Z. Inst. 1893, believed nigra, depressa 

 and begoniae (I have not seen begoniae) 



