6 INSECTS NOXIOUS TO AGRICULTURE. 



name of " mealy-bug," which, although decidedly neither elegant 

 nor euphonious., very fairly represents the character of that par- 

 ticular portion of the family. 



The origin of the name " Coccididse," or, as abbreviated 

 often in this volume, " Coccids," is found in the old Greek word 

 " KOKKOS," denoting a rich red dye, which was much admired by 

 the Greeks and Romans, and which was procured from the in- 

 sect now known as Kermes vermilio (the Coccus ilicis of Linnaeus) . 

 When the cochineal insect was discovered in Mexico it soon 

 overpowered all the others, producing commercial dyes, and from 

 it has come the title " Coccid," now applied to the whole family. 

 Cochineal itself has of late years been pushed aside to a great 

 extent by the aniline (coal-tar) dyes ; yet it is still used for 

 many purposes. This insect lives on the leaves of cactus. 

 Amongst the New Zealand species described in this work will be 

 found one, Dactylopius alpinus, which produces a red dye similar 

 to, though probably not equal to, cochineal. Before the dis- 

 covery of aniline dyes it might possibly have been worth while 

 to cultivate this insect for its dye ; but this would scarcely 

 answer now. 



The Coccididse are, in some parts of the world, very injurious 

 to vegetation. They seem to affect principally the warmer 

 temperate regions. California, Florida, the Cape of Good Hope, 

 the southern parts of Australia, Southern France and Northern 

 Italy, and New Zealand are countries in which they are found 

 out-of-doors in the greatest numbers. In England they are less 

 troublesome in the open air, though in greenhouses and hot- 

 houses they abound ; but, in places under glass, every gardener 

 ought to be able to get rid of them without difficulty. For its 

 extent New Zealand seems to furnish a larger number than any 

 other country. The humidity of its climate and the absence of 

 anything like severe winters in most parts of it are quite con- 

 genial to Coccids ; and there is scarcely a tree in its forests or 

 in its gardens, whether native or introduced, which is not subject 

 to their attacks. 



It has not been thought necessary to include in this work a 

 list of the books and essays written on this family of insects. 

 The list would be a very long one ; but, besides that many of 

 the books would not be obtainable here, it would be found 

 that very many authors have done nothing more than copy 

 often quite blindly and unintelligently what others had said 



