COCCUS TOMENTOSUS. 225 



from the Royal Gardens at Kew, wliicli we have added 

 to our plate. Their introduction to the Royal Gardens 

 was in the year 1814, from Martinico, by Mons. 

 Castelneau d' Auros, late Superintendent of the Botanic 

 Gardens on that island." As Curtis's publication (1. c.) 

 is dated 1827, the insects had apparently been estab- 

 lished at Kew for a period of thirteen years prior to 

 the record here given ! 



Habits. The females were nearly all dead when I 

 discovered them in the month of July, but there were 

 quantities of immature females, and I was fortunate in 

 rearing a few males which appeared towards the end 

 of the month. The larvae swarmed, and were actively 

 passing up and down the long barbed spines of the 

 food-plant, evidently enjoying the intense heat of the 

 midday sun. 



Distribution. Mexico is apparently the home of this 

 species, but it will very probably be found wherever 

 the food-plants are under cultivation from that region. 



It is important to note that typical specimens of 

 Coccus tomentosus collected by Dr. Duges in Mexico 

 usually possess seven joints to the antennae, but I find 

 the number of antenna! joints to vary, and examples 

 occur with only six joints. The British examples 

 have all, without exception, six joints to the antennae. 



I described (1. c.) the antennae of the adult female 

 as having the third joint of the antennae the longest, 

 and the mentum as monomerous. On re-examining 

 a number of freshly prepared specimens I find the 

 sixth joint of the antennae to be the longest, and the 

 mentum bimerous. I also find that there are several 

 tuberculate spines on the apical joint of the male 

 antennae. 



EXPLANATION or THE PLATE. 



PI. LXXIII, fig. 1. Adult female, as seen by trans- 

 mitted light after treatment with potash, showing 

 bands of truncate spines on dorsal surface. X 15. 

 VOL. ii. 15 



