74 THE CALIFORNIA SPECIES OF MEALY BUGS 



that it "will be distinguished by the possession of a complete subpyri- 

 form brittle sac." This is a bit optimistic, but the description of the 

 genotype, C. arizonensis (Ehrh.) indicates that this species is very simi- 

 lar to the species later described by Ehrhorn as Eriococcus salinus. It 

 must be admitted that this is only a surmise, but the latter species is cer- 

 tainly not an Eriococcus and does seem to resemble C. arizonensis. 

 There being no other group into which it will fit, I regard it for the pres- 

 ent as a Cryptoripersia and base the following characterization of the 

 genus upon it. 



Pseudococcine forms with but the anal pair of cerarii present, the 

 cerarian spines in these being long and slender, their homology with the 

 usual short conical spines being indicated only by their position and 

 paired character. Anal opening on the dorsum at some distance from 

 the posterior margin of the body. Antennae of the adult female and of 

 first stage larva, 6-segmented. 



Cryptoripersia salinus (Ehrh.). 



Plate 3, fig. 30. 

 1911. Eriococcus salinus Ehrhorn, Can. Ent. 43:276. 



In life. Occurring on the roots of the host. The adult female en- 

 tirely enclosed in a white, pyriform sac as much as 5 mm. in length. 

 Oviparous. 



Morphological characteristics. Adult female as much as 5 mm. long 

 on the slide, pyriform or ovoid when flattened out, the anterior end point- 

 ed. Antennae 6-segmented, quite small. Anal cerarii only present, each 

 with two slender hairs, no pores or auxiliary setae. Dorsal body setae 

 few, appearing only on the head and posterior end of the abdomen, very 

 small. Tubular ducts all very small, few in number. Dorsum of the ab- 

 domen without multilocular pores. Anal ring quite small, heavily chit- 

 inized, the anal ring setae slightly shorter than the anal lobe setae. In all 

 my specimens the body flattens out on the slide in such a manner that the 

 anal ring appears to lie on the dorsum at ^some distance from the pos- 

 terior end of the body. 



Immature female not seen. First stage larvae with 6-segmented 

 antennae. 



Type host and locality. From roots of "bunch grass," Alameda 

 shore, Alameda, Calif. 



Hosts and distribution. I have taken this species from the roots of 

 a grass (Stipa sp. or Poa sp.) growing in bunches on the dry hillside in 

 Stevens Creek Canyon, Santa Clara County, and from what is possibly the 



