- 12- 



PART OF PLANT ATTACKED. 



Leaves, fruits, and young stems. 



REMARKS. 



This species is not very commonly found, but is fairly widely 

 distributed. 



12. Pseudococcus perniciosus Newst. (THE LEBBEKH MEALY BUG). 



BIBLIOGRAPHY : Newstead, Bull. Ent. Res., 1910, p. 138. 

 Willcocks, Bull. Ent. Res., 1910, p. 121. 



The ovisac of the female is white, composed of loose flocculent 

 material and more or less hemispherical. Even when there is a 

 large mass of ovisacs the rounded form of the individual ovisac is 

 usually apparent. The surface of the ovisac has well marked transverse 

 flutings and sometimes faint longitudinal striae. 



The adult female is ovate and covered with a thick layer of 

 white secretion ; the segmentation is clear in the early adult. When 

 denuded of wax the adult female is black or very dark greenish purple. 

 The female is active up to the time of oviposition. 



Length 3-4 millimetres. Breadth 2-3 '5 millimetres. 



HOST PLANTS. 



Leguminosae *Albizzia lebbekh, Acacia arabica (Sunt) 



Cajanus indicus (Pigeon Pea). 



Malvaceae Gossypium sp. (Cotton). 



llhamnacese Zizyphus spina-christi. 



Rutacese . *Citrus medica (Lime), C. nobilis (Manda- 

 rine). 



PART OF PLANT ATTACKED. 



The leaves, young stems, and branches. In a bad attack great 

 masses of ovisacs are seen all over the smaller branches and shoots 

 and in winter the boles of Lebbekhs that have been heavily attacked 

 the preceding summer are white with ovisacs, the adult females 

 selecting crevices in the bark in which to lay their eggs, thus shielding 

 them to some extent from the more rigorous climatic conditions of 

 the winter months. 



REMARKS. 



This species was originally described by Newstead (loc. cit.) from 

 material collected in Cairo by Mr. Willcocks. There was a very bad 

 outbreak of this mealy bug in Cairo in 1909-1910, the magnificent 

 Lebbekh shade trees of the Cairo streets suffering badly. These 



