240 OETHEZIA INSIGNIS. 



commence ovipositing on their own account. The 

 length of life of a single insect is therefore about 

 fifteen weeks ; but as it commences to produce larvae 

 at the ninth week, there may be five generations in the 

 course of a year. 



" This fecundity is more or less independent of the 

 attentions of the male insects, which appear only at 

 irregular intervals. It is doubtful whether a genera- 

 tion of males is produced even once a year. It is 

 remarkable that the true male of Orthezia insignis has 

 been recorded only from Ceylon. Supposed males 

 have been described and figured both in England and 

 America, but in both these cases the male of a totally 

 different insect has been erroneously associated with 

 this female. Since the appearance of this pest in 

 Ceylon two male broods only have come under my 

 personal observation in July, 1894, and May, 1898. 

 On both these occasions the male insects occurred in 

 enormous numbers, hovering in the air like gnats, the 

 silky tufts on their tails glistening in the sunlight. In 

 May of the present year (1898) myriads of these 

 little flies might be seen floating in the air in certain 

 parts of ' Lady Horton's Walk' and other roads about 

 Kandy. It is the female that is responsible for the 

 chief damage, as she continues to pump up sap from 

 the plant during the whole period of her existence. 

 Unlike most scale-bugs, the Orthezia is quite an active 

 insect, and able to change its position at will. It 

 prefers the young shoots to the older stems, and moves 

 upward with the growth of the plant." In England 

 the number of broods would be regulated by the 

 temperature of the house, and, judging from their 

 numbers at Kew, I should imagine that two or three 

 broods are produced in a year. 



Mr. Green also gives a complete list of the known 

 food-plants, which includes the following orders : 

 Acanthacese, Rubiaceds, Verbenacese, Composite, Solana- 

 cese, Labiatse, Rutacede, Leguminosas, Caprifoliacese, 

 Bignoniacedd, Rosaceds, Amarantliacede, Ternstromiacese, 



