Specimens collected in this country exhibit a considerable variation 

 in size. 



Length 1-3 millimetres. Breadth 0-5-2 millimetres. 



HOST PLANTS. 



Gramineae Bambusa sp. (Bamboo). 



PART OF PLANT ATTACKED. 

 Leaves and stems. 



REMARKS. 



This species is found on Bamboos all over Egypt. 



5. Asterolecanium pustulans var. samhuci Ckll. 

 (THE FIG SCALE OR CUP SCALE.) 



BIBLIOGRAPHY : Cockerell, Journal Inst. Jam., i, p. 143 (1892). 

 Cockerell, Entomologist, Vol. xxxvi, 1903, p. 112. 

 Debski, Mem. Ent. Soc. d'Egypte, 1918, pp. 11, 18. 



The test of the adult female is almost round, from yellow to 

 green in colour, semi-transparent and glassy in texture. The margin 

 bears a continuous fringe of glassy filaments and similar filaments 

 arise from the dorsum somewhat sparsely but sometimes giving 

 quite a hairy appearance. 



This insect causes local irritation in the case of Fig trees, Oleanders, 

 and a few other host plants, inducing a ring of local growth just outside 

 the margin of the insect. The old adult female is found quite deep 

 down in the cup thus formed. This is most marked in the case of 

 Fig trees and Oleanders. 



Some variation exists in the colour of specimens collected in 

 this country, but the size is fairly constant. 



Diameter 1-5-2 millimetres. 



This species has hitherto gone under the name of A. pustulans 

 Ckll., but I think there is no doubt that it is really A. pustulans var. 

 sambuci Ckll. Debski, in his excellent Memoir on the " Galls of Egypt " 

 (loc. cit.), points out that the Egyptian species is not Ast. fimbriatum 

 (Boyer de Fonsc.) as has been suggested by Lindinger and Marcell. 

 A. fimbriatum has two rows of double marginal glands, whereas our 

 species only has a single row. The question to decide is whether 

 it is A. pustulans or the variety sambuci. I have Cockerell's descrip- 

 tion of the latter, but unfortunately not of the former. Debski (p. 18 

 loc. cit.) says " Le Coccide differe de A. fimbriatum (Boyer) par la 

 couleur distinctement rougeatre de ses filaments qui, avec la couleur 



