THE GENUS PSEUDOCOCCUS IN CALIFORNIA 



E. O. ESSIG. 



The following study of this difficult genus is manifestly provisional. Much 

 more material is needed to complete the work, and we should be glad to receive 

 specimens of any species of the genus from any source. A synopsis of the females 

 has been a great desideratum, and we have attempted to construct such a synopsis. 

 It now includes all the known native species and most of the introduced forms, 

 though there are some like Psciidococcus calceolariae, P. affinis, and P. liyinen- 

 oclcae recorded as having occurred in the State, which we have not yet seen. 

 These insects are very variable in most of their characters, and minute differences 

 in the antennal articles or bri.stle arrangement taken alone are not to be depended 

 upon. So we have used only characters, or combinations of characters, which 

 seem to us, on the az'eragc, to be good. For this reason in using the synopsis, 

 care should be taken to examine numbers of specimens of any form, since even 

 species having normally 8-articled antennae occasionally include specimens with 

 only 7 articles or even with 9. We have not always used in the synopsis charac- 

 ters which we consider of greatest value in distinguishing the species, since we 

 are limited always to the use only of described characters in those species we have 

 not seen. 



PROVISIONAL KEY TO FEM.^LES OF CALIF0RNI.\ PSEUDOCOCCUS. 



A. Third article of antennae about half the length of the last ; spines of anal 

 lobes usually much longer than circumanal spines ; body with only powdery 

 wax. 



B. Antennae 7-articled and very small. 



C. Antennae with very few hairs, article 4 shorter than 5 ; body 

 slate colored. Under bark of Artemisia californica. 



artemisiae n. sp. 



CC. Antennae with normal number of hairs, article 4 longer than 

 5 ; body pinkish. Under bark of Quercus agrifolia. 



agrifoliae n. sp. 

 BB. Antennae 8-articled, large, and normally haired. 



C. Antennae with article 2 much longer than 3. 



D. "Sides with rows of spinneret spine areas"; eggs 



enclosed in an egg-sac. On Azalea. 



acaleac. 



