SUBFAMILY ERIOCOCCINAE 319 



among which the eggs are placed. The rectum is never provided with 

 a long glassy tube of wax or with a chitinized rectal tube bearing rings 

 of anacerores. The body is never naked and gall-like in form. 



The female nymphs of all stages are provided with a rostrum and 

 rostralis. The three pairs of legs are present in the first nymphal stage 

 and generally in the other nymphal stages, sometimes greatly reduced or 

 wanting, when present, are usually similar in form. The profemora are 

 never greatly enlarged and the prothoracic legs are never fitted for dig- 

 ging. The caudal end of the rectum is not chitinized, forming a rectal 

 tube provided with one or more rings of anacerores excreting a long 

 glassy tube of wax. The body is never provided with an anal cleft and 

 opercula or pilacerores and rarely with octacerores or ceratubae. The 

 anal ring is distinct and provided with four to eight or more anal ring 

 setae, usually six, and frequently different in number from that of the 

 adult. The anal lobes are usually distinct and provided with anal setae. 

 The caudal abdominal segment is not short, narrow, and projecting. 



The male has ocellanae. The abdomen is not provided with lateral 

 filaments or with tufts of long slender glassy threads of wax, but is 

 usually provided with two or four long slender caudal threads of wax. 

 Wings are sometimes wanting. The stylus is short and inconspicuous. 



This subfamily contains some of the best known species of the 

 family, the species of Pseudococcus, generally known as Mealy 

 Bugs. This name comes from the fact that their bodies, dorsal 

 and ventral aspects, are generally densely covered with a fine 

 granular wax which gives them the appearance of having been 

 rolled in coarse flour. Several of the species are of great economic 

 importance in subtropical and tropical regions where they are 

 able to pass the winter out of doors. In temperate regions where 

 the winters are generally rigorous, they are found in the main 

 only in glass houses where they are often serious pests unless held 

 in check by frequent fumigations. 



The females are active throughout their entire or almost their 

 entire life and in all nymphal stages, cover their bodies with 

 mealy wax, so that they appear conspicuous against the green 

 surface of the plant. They are prone to congregate together, sc 

 that they assemble, usually from two to six, in the angle between 

 two branches or in the angle between a leaf and a branch. The 

 adult females form the mass of wax, the so called ovisac, in which 

 the eggs, 150 to 200 in the case of Pseudococcus citri, are depos- 

 ited. These are usually placed in the angles between the stems or 

 a leaf. The eggs hatch in ten to eighteen days, but of the eggs 

 deposited only a small number produce males. The young nymphs 

 remain in the ovisac for a short time, but on leaving spread rapidly 

 over various parts of the plant and settle along the midrib and in 

 the angles in the stems. 



