150 ASTEROLECANIUM. 



GENUS ASTEROLECANIUM (Targioni-Tozzetti). 



In 1893, and again in 1894, the late Mr. Maskell 

 expressed an opinion that all the then known species of 

 this division of the Coccidae should be placed under the 

 genus Planchonia, but as this name was preoccupied 

 it has been abandoned, and priority given to Astero- 

 lecanium. I quite agree with that author, however, in 

 placing all the known members of the division under 

 one genus. In treating of Asterolecanium variolosum, 

 Ratz., in Vol. I of this work, I unfortunately adopted 

 the name Asterodiaspis quercicola, given to it by 

 Signoret in 1876. My reason for doing so was that I 

 could not then find any trace of the characteristic 

 hairs on the anal orifice, but as I now find that there 

 are two minute ones, I have replaced the species under 

 Asterolecanium. 



The females of this genus are completely enclosed 

 in a sac of opaque or semi-transparent waxy, horny, 

 or glass-like secretion, the margins of which are 

 usually furnished with a fringe of glass-like rods or 

 waxen plates, and there is a small opening at the anal 

 extremity for the exit of the Iarva3 (see PL LXI, figs. 

 1-15). 



The ovisac is usually designated the " test," but as 

 the secretion is not attached to the body of the insect, 

 the term should, in my opinion, be abandoned. 



The adult females are apodous, and the antennae are 

 either absent or rudimentary. The anal lobes are also 

 more or less rudimentary, or comparatively small ; and 

 the margins of the integument are furnished with a 

 single or double row of fringe-secreting glands shaped 

 like the figure 8 (PI. LXII, figs. 3, 8, 18). 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



A. Ovisac of female with a dorsal series of filaments or 

 tufts. 



(l) . . . . THESII (2). 



