173 



The male resembles that of longiJiUs in ai)i)earance, though the anal 

 filaments are not as long. The head, thorax, and two basal segments 

 of the anteniuB are nearly as deep a red as those of the female; the 

 abdomen, legs, and remainder of the antennti^ are much paler. The eyes 

 are not ringed with bright red, as in the other two species, but are a dark 

 reddish brown. The immature male has 7-jointed antennte, and shortly 

 before pupating a mass of waxy secretion posteriorly is quite notice- 

 able. 



In the allies of the mealy bugs there are several common injurious 

 species where study becomes quite as satisfactory and interesting as in 

 the species of Dactylopius. Eriococcus azalecv, which has been on our 

 azaleas in such numbers the past season, is one of them. This species 

 has received considerable attention, but only a brief notice will be 

 given it here. It is a close ally to the mealy bug and might be very 

 easily mistaken for one unless structurally studied. Since the note on 

 this species published in Insect Life (vol. vi, p. 327), where it says, 

 "The insect has not yet been found out of doors, and it will be 

 interesting to know its natural habitat," the query with me has been. 

 Is the species not exclusively a greenhouse i)est with us and perhaps 

 imported with the azalea plants? To partial]y answer this question a 

 badly infested i)lant was placed out of doors about the 1st of May, 

 subject to Michigan's climatic changes. About a month later most of 

 the eggs hatched, but not a young Briococcus has survived. 



A full-grown female of this species lays about 250 eggs in the 

 winter and they remain under the sack until they hatch in the spring. 

 At the present time the females are nearly half grown and the males 

 are still in the pupa state. If I am not mistaken, there is only one 

 annujil brood, so that the species does not increase with the rapidity 

 of the mealy bug. We have never found a species on any plant except 

 the azaleas, and as these plants are all imported from Belgium and 

 France at least once in every two years, it is very probable that the 

 Eriococcus is also imported with the plants. 



Another close ally of the mealy bug is found on our greenhouse palms. 

 Specimens sent to the Departmentof Agriculture at Washington bring 

 back the word from Mr. Howard that he feels sure the species is not 

 described and that it apparently belongs to a new genus. The bug is 

 quite common on the three species of palm — Areca lutcscens from east- 

 ern Asia, Ptychosperma cunninghamiana from Queensland, and Rhapis 

 humilis, the dwarf rattan palm, from Jai;)an. The species is apparently 

 quite restricted in the number of food plants, as an effort was made to 

 rear specimens on some other species of dwarf palm, but the bugs 

 refused to remain on the plants and soon starved. The mealy covering 

 is thick and heavy with a broad margin and large pyramidal elevations 

 of dirty -yellowish white over the dorsum. The females are viviparous 

 and about as prolific as Dactylopius longijilis. The young remain under 

 the mother for several days until there are so many that she can brood 



