176 AULACASPis (DIASPIS) PENTAGONA. 



consisting for the most part of second-stage females in 

 a perfectly healthy condition ; there were also a few 

 tenanted male puparia and a number of old adult 

 female puparia which, almost without exception, con- 

 tained parasitised females. As my description Inis 

 been made from these latter, the slight variation from 

 typical forms may be due to parasitism. 



The existence in England of such an omnivorous 

 pest as this was of a very serious nature, as the species 

 is undoubtedly a hardy one, and I have no hesitation 

 in stating would thrive in this country, and in time 

 become a serious fruit pest. Fortunately the specimens 

 reached me before the larvae had migrated, and their 

 existence was advisedly cut short. My discovery of 

 this pest happened just at the time of the American 

 fruit-pest scare (March, 1898), when it was supposed 

 the Aspidiotus perniciosvs, Comstock, had either estab- 

 lished itself in this country, or would probably do so 

 from imported fruit (see also pp. 24 28). 



Distribution. Australia, Fiji, British West Indies, 

 Ceylon, North America, where it is said to be double- 

 brooded, and in Southern Europe it is a great pest to 

 the mulberry. Hempel recently records it from Brazil. 



Genus POLIASPIS (Maskell). 



Here the form of the female puparium is more or 

 less pyriform, as in Chionaspis. But the distinguishing 

 features are the non-carinated pupcwritum of the mole ; 

 and in the pygidium of the female possessing more than 

 five groups of circumgenital glands with the dorsal 

 tubular spinnerets arranged in distinct serial bands us 

 in Aulacaspis. 



