SCALE-INSECTS. 83 



This insect "belongs to Signoret's fifth series. 



A European species, L. cycadis, Boisduval, is said by Dr. 

 Signoret to closely resemble L. olece, the only difference ap- 

 parently being the possession of nine-jointed antennae. This 

 character is so exceptional in the genus that it perhaps may be 

 "but doubtful. 



Genus: PULVINARIA, Targioni-Tozzetti. 

 Female insects naked, arboreal, constructing an ovisac. 

 Male pupae in cottony or waxy sacs. 



50. PULVINARIA CAMELLICOLA, Signoret, Ann. de la Soc. Ent. de 



France, 1873, p. 32. 

 Maskell, N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 207. 



(Plate XII., Fig. 1.) 



Adult female yellowish- or reddish-brown, naked, slightly 

 convex, elongated ; skin smooth, with puncta ; length variable, 

 from about ijin. to -Jin. Antennae (according to Signoret) with 

 sometimes six, sometimes seven, joints. Abdominal cleft and 

 lobes normal. The insect excretes a narrow, white, cylindrical 

 cottony ovisac, which is conspicuous on the leaf of the plant, 

 and the brown body of the female can be seen at one end of it. 

 The eggs in this ovisac are numerous, perhaps some hundreds. 



Larva and second stage of female flat, oval, yellowish-brown. 



Male pupa covered with a Avaxy, elongated test as in the 

 genus Ctenochiton, but there is no fringe and the segments of 

 the test are not conspicuous ; the test is oval and convex. 



Adult male yellowish-grey, the head rounded, with an 

 anterior protuberance. Two dorsal and two ventral eyes, and 

 two ocelli. Antennae of ten joints, all hairy. Feet exhibiting 

 only two digitules, the upper pair. Abdominal spike short, with 

 two longish setae on each side, each pair of which are covered 

 with cotton which is produced into a long white conspicuous cauda. 



Habitat On camellia. In the South, chiefly in green- 

 houses. In the Hutt Valley, Wellington, camellias in the open 

 air are much subject to it. 



The female of this species is not unlike Lecanium hesperidum, 

 but the formation of the white ovisac is a clearly distinguishing 

 character. In late summer the female often drops off to the 

 ground, leaving only the ovisac observable on the leaf. 



