72 CLASSIFICATION OF THE ALEYRODID^. 



Aleurodicus (Lecanoideus) mirabilis Cockerell. 



(PI. XXVI, figs. 1-5; PI. XXIX. fig. 1.) 



Aleurodicun mirabilis Cockerell, Psyche, vol. 8, p. 225 (189S) ; idem, p. 360 

 (1899). 



ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION. 



Pupa (lato larva?) I5 mm. long, after boiling transparent and colorless, 

 except some brown stains in the thoracic region. Mouth-parts distinct and well 

 formed ; rostral loop short ; legs present, very stout, with small, hooked claws. 

 Form oblong, quite elongate, with a border densely dotted with round glands; 

 anteriorly this border is very narrow, and at the extreme hind end it ceases, 

 but all along the sides it is extremely broad. The cephalic portion of the insect, 

 the hind end, and the lateral margins within the border, are also densely dotted 

 with glands. Abdomen distinctly segmented, but the segmentation does not 

 extend to the border. On each side of the abdomen are four curious large 

 gbindnlar processes, of the type of those in A. holmcsii Mask. Lingula trowel- 

 shaped, extending considerably beyond the broad operculum ; at each side of the 

 base of the lingula is an angular prominence. The general type of these parts 

 is that of A. pulvinata Mask., but while the lingula is equally long, it is in 

 our insect gently bowed out at the sides ; and the two bristles at the end of the 

 lingula in mirabilis are not nearly so long as in pulvinata. 



Externally the insect appears as a large mass (5 to 10 mm. long) of snow- 

 white cottony tufts, irregularly disposed, from the midst of which spring many 

 very long curved white threads. The pupa itself is entirely covered. 



Hab. — Boca, del Usumacinta, Tabasco, Mexico, July 8, 1897, on "Laurel," 

 which is not our plant of that name (Townsend) Div. Ent. 7984. This re- 

 markable insect resembles Aleurodicus in several respects; when all its stages 

 are known, it will probably be referred to a new genus. 



Prof. C. H. T. Townsend found this species in quantity at Minatitlan. Mexico, 

 April 25, 1808, on the underside of Annua leaves. Fortunately, he secured a 

 single $ adult, which shows that the insect belongs to Aleurodicus. The an- 

 terior wings are slightly over 2 mm. long and about li mm. broad; white, with 

 two very pale gray bands ; the first crossing the wing just before the fork of the 

 median vein, but interrupted for a space below the vein; the second a dilute 

 transverse cloud not far from the apex of the wing. Body about 2 mm. long, 

 exclusive of the forceps, which are about | mm. Color of body and legs very 

 pale yellow ; base of abdomen white ; thorax between wings light orange. An- 

 tennte orange at the middle; eyes pale greenish, not divided. Easily known 

 from A. anonw Morgan, by the markings on the wings of the adult, and the 

 lingula longer than the operculum in the pupa. 



Type.— No. 14770, U. S. National Museum. 



DESCRIPTIVE REjMARKS. 



This insect in structure of pupa case closely resembles giganteus. 

 Tlie clotted border to which reference is made by Prof. Cockerell is 

 really the deflexed portion of case, seen through the derm above, the 

 margin resembling a suture in the derm (PI. XXVI, figs. 1, 2). In 

 general shape the case resembles a lecanium scale. There are four 

 pairs of the usual compound wax pores on the abdomen, and a simi- 

 lar pair on the cephalic end (PI. XXVI, fig. 4). The true margin is 



