92 CLASSIFICATION OP THE ALEYRODID^. 



Weomaskellia comata (Maskell). 

 (PI. XXXIV, figs. 1-8.) 



Aleurodes comata Maskell, Trans. New Zealand Inst., vol. 28, p. 426 (1895). 



Among Maskell's types are examples of the species described by 

 him as Alenrodes comMa. In examining those we find the species 

 very different from other Aleyrodes and therefore describe and figure 

 it in this connection. Maskell's original description is as follows: 



ORIGINAL. DESCRIPTION. 



Eggs yellowisb-browa, elliptical; length about 1/130 in.; peduncle rather 

 short. 



T.ai'va yellow, .somewhat thick, flattish, regularly elliptical ; length about 

 1/55 in. Dor.sum bearing four longish fine hairs, of which two are on the ce- 

 phalic region and two close to the vasiform orifice. Margin entire, not thick- 

 ened, bearing a row of rather long, strong hairs, sixteen on each side, and two 

 shorter ones at the abdominal extremity. Rudimentary eyes dark-red. tuber- 

 cular, may be made out. Vasiform orifice broad, short, subelliptical ; operculum 

 short, transversely divided; lingula obsolete. 



Pupa-case yellow; elliptical; length about 1/25 In. The dorsal four hairs 

 as in the larva, and there is usually a small quantity of dorsal white meal. 

 Abdominal segments indistinct. Margin with wide shallow crenulations ; mar- 

 ginal hairs as in the larva. Vasiform orifice, operculum, and lingula as in the 

 larva. On turning over the pupa-case the rudimentary feet, antennae, &c., are 

 clearly visible. 



Adult of general normal form; length of body about 1/30 in. Head and 

 thorax dark-yellow. Abdomen lighter yellow. Genitalia browa Wings nar- 

 row, grey ; nervure straight ; the basal branch very short, almost obsolete ; mar- 

 gins of wings minutely serratulate, each serration bearing a minute spine ; on 

 the anterior edge of the hind wing are four very fine hairs. The fore-wing 

 bears four faint brownish patches difficult to distinguish ; they form almost two 

 transverse bands, but do not seem, to meet at the nervure. Genitalia of male 

 and female normal ; each arm of the forceps of the male bears a few short 

 Iiairs. 



Hab. in Fiji, on a gramineous plant unknown to me. My specimens were isent 

 by Mr. R. L. Holmes. 



" This species may be distinguished by the marginal and dorsal hairs of the 

 larva and pupa. Something similar may be seen in A. citri, Riley and Howard, 

 as figured in Insect Life, 1893, p. 219, but that species has four cephalic and 

 four posterior long dorsal hairs; its wings are immaculate, and the adult male 

 bears remarkable tufts of wax on the abdomen ; the serrations of the wing 

 margins are also difi'erent." 



DESCRIPTIVE REMARKS. 



The larva (PI. XXXIV, fig. 5) is sufficiently characterized by 

 Maskell. 



Pupa case. — Size 0.88 mm. by 0.4 mm. Elongate oval, with at- 

 tenuated cephalic portion (PI. XXXIV, figs. 1, 2). Edge of the 

 case deflexed and armed with sixteen long spines and two pairs of 

 small cephalic ones. Margin irregularly crenulate or dentate (PI. 



