102 INSECTS NOXIOUS TO AGEICULTUKE. 



64*. PSEUDOCOCCTJS ASTELKE, Maskell. 



N.Z. Trans., Vol. XVI., 1883, p. 139. 



(Plate XVIII. Fig. 2.) 



Adult female about T \jiri. long, yellowish-brown, covered 

 with a not very abundant white cotton ; segmented ; anal 

 tubercles inconspicuous ; anal ring with six hairs. Antennae 

 with nine joints, of which the third, fourth, and fifth arc the 

 longest the second, sixth, and ninth a little shorter ; the first,, 

 seventh, and eighth the shortest. The fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 are the narrowest, the two ends of the antennae being thicker 

 than the middle. The eighth joint is a little expanded at the 

 tip ; and the ninth is fusiform, with a shallow depression at the 

 extremity. All the joints have a few long hairs, and on the 

 eighth is one a good deal stronger than the others. The legs 

 have the tibiae twice as long as the tarsus ; the claw is slender, 

 and has no tooth on the inner edge. There are only two 

 digitules (the lower pair), which are long and fine. The 

 trochanter bears one short bristle. The whole leg is slender 

 and long. The eyes are tubercular and smooth, showing after 

 maceration in potash a small dark terminal spot. The body is 

 covered with a number of spinnerets of two kinds : those with 

 simple concentric circles are the largest, and are found all over 

 the integument ; the others are multilocular, and are placed in 

 groups at the edges of the segments and also in great numbers 

 at the cephalic and abdominal extremities. Interspersed with 

 these spinnerets are several hairs, mostly very short, but on the 

 head are some pretty long. From the anal tubercles spring two 

 strong setae with tubercular bases, not very long. The mentum 

 is dimerous, and bears a few hairs on the tip. In the groups of 

 spinnerets at the edges of the segments are found a few small 

 conical spines. The four spiracles are small and simple. 



Adult male unknown. 



Habitat On Astelia sp., in forests, Hawke's Bay. 



Allied to P. Mespili, Geoffroy ; but differs in the antennae, 

 feet, and spinnerets. 



