184 RIPERSIA FILICICOLA. 



EIPEESIA FILICICOLA (Newstead). 

 (PL LXVII, figs. 1-12.) 



Bipersia filicicola, Newstead ; Ent. Mo. Mag., s.s., 

 vol. ix, p. 96, fig. 10 (1898). 



Adult female (fig. 1) rather short ovate, and slightly 

 attenuated posteriorly. Colour pale ochreous yellow 

 or red-pink ; farinose, with broad, irregular, waxy 

 appendages on the margin of the abdominal segments ; 

 there is a continuation of waxy appendages along the 

 rest of the margin, but they are narrow and more or 

 less continuous ; caudal appendages long, narrow, and 

 divergent. When the old adults become stationary, 

 as represented in the figure, they secrete a quantity of 

 long, slender, glassy, iridescent filaments, which 

 radiate from the sides of the body, but do not appear 

 to be attached to it, and they remain indefinitely after 

 the formation of the sac (fig. 9). Form, after treat- 

 ment with potash, elongate-ovate (fig. 2). Antennae 

 (figs. 3, 3 a) and legs comparatively large for the size 

 of the insect. The former consist of six joints, the 

 sixth being the longest ; the third is usually the next 

 longest, but in some examples (fig. 3) the second 

 joint equals the third in length ; all the joints have 

 fine hairs. The tarsi and claws (fig. 7) are without 

 clubbed hairs, simple fine hairs taking their places. 

 Mentum (fig. 6) biarticulate, long, rather narrow, and 

 pointed, apical joint nearly twice the length of the 

 first; filaments very short. Anal lobes (figs. 4, 4 a) 

 more or less rudimentary. Anal orifice (fig. 4) with 

 six very long hairs, almost reaching as far as from the 

 tips of the long hairs to the anal lobes. Dermis above 

 with short fine hairs and spinnerets, which are more 

 numerous at the margins of the abdominal segments, 

 and each segment has, at the margin, a single, very 

 short spine ; the dermis between the antennae (fig. 5) 



