THE OLEANDER SCALE. 47 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



THE OLEANDER SCALE. 



(Aspidiotus Nerii. Bouche.) 



Order : Hemiptera. Sub-order : Homoptera. Family : Coccididce. 



A greyish white, often light greyish brown, scale 

 insect, with female puparium nearly circular (see Plate 

 XXI., Fig. 2), flat, diameter about T V of an inch. Male 

 puparium oval (see Fig. 3), white or greyish brown, about 

 -/ T of an inch in length. Adult female yellow, peg-top 

 shaped (see Fig. 5), but almost globular; abdomen ending 

 in six lobes, of which the two median are the largest; 

 between and a little beyond the lobes are a number of 

 scaly serrated extremities, also some scaly but smooth 

 hairs, &c. Adult male (see Fig. 6) yellow or brownish, 

 antennae of ten joints, each with several hairs. 



As many of the scale insects are often difficult to 

 recognise from drawings, it has been thought advisable in 

 such cases to give a short description of each species, the 

 same having been taken from the work of Mr. Maskell, 

 and alluded to elsewhere. 



This most formidable pest is an introduction from 

 Europe, where its attacks on oleander bushes particu- 

 larly are very severe. I have not noticed it on these 

 plants growing near Melbourne, as in Victoria its prin- 

 cipal attacks have been made, so far, on native plants and 

 trees, also on imported trees and shrubs in gardens both 

 public and private. It occasionally attacks oranges, 

 lemons, and other members of the Citrus family, and is a 

 most difficult scale to dislodge or destroy when once a 

 plant, no matter of what kind, is badly infested with it. 



Dr. Cooke, in his valuable work on American Economic 

 Insects, states that within the last four or five years this 

 insect has been found on the lemon, plum, cherry, and 



