70 PULVIXABIA MESEMBKYANTHEMI. 



of strong hairs the first pair very short, the second 

 three times as long as the first. There are generally 

 three similar hairs at the base of the antenna?, ex- 

 tending in a single series towards the median line, 

 each successively longer than the first, which is quite 

 close to the base of the antennae. 



Mr. Douglas gives the measurements of the living 

 examples as : Length of scale ( ? ), 4-5 ; breadth, 

 3-3*5 mm. 



After boiling in potash I find that they measure : 

 Long, 3-50-4*25 mm. ; wide, 2*50-3*50 mm. 



" In the young stages and up to the time of the 

 formation of the ovisac, the entire insect is delicate 

 pale green, and the scale (?) is smooth ; the colour 

 becomes gradually brown, and the transverse folds 

 then also first appear, developing as the scales become 

 dry." (Douglas, 1. c.) 



Habitat. " On a small piece of Mesembri/antheimim 

 imported from Spain, received from Dr. W. H. Lowe, 

 Wimbledon, in April, was a numerous colony of this 

 species in all stages of existence " (Douglas, 1. c.). 

 My examples were from Mr. Douglas' collection, and 

 were part of the same lot of insects ; they were, how- 

 ever, detached from their ovisacs, and I am therefore 

 unable to compare the latter with those of P.floc- 

 cifera; but, judging from a figure of the adult female 

 given by Berlese and Leonardi,* it is only about twice 

 the length of the insect, or approximately twice as 

 long as the ovisac of P. vitis. 



Distribution. Apparently a native of Southern 

 Europe, but not a very common species. 



EXPLANATION or THE PLATE. 



PL XLIX, fig. 1. Adult female after treatment with 



potash (ventral). X 15. 

 Fig. 2. Antennae of adult female/ X 140. 

 Fig. 3. Leg of the adult female. X 140. 



* ' Annali cli Agricoltura/ 1898, p. 50, figs. 23 a, 24 a. 



