1899 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



5r 



Antennae and leg of 

 Ripersia minimus. 



THE TLNTH ANTS-NEST SPECIES OF COCCID FROM 

 MASSACHUSETTS. 



By J. D. TiNSLEY and Geo. B. King. 

 Ripersia minimus, d. sp. 



Adult $. Length barely 1 mm,; covere:! with while secretion ; 

 color reidish brown ; rather pluiap. No lateral or caudal filaments 

 observed with a hand-lense. Ovisac, en- 

 closing the female, ellipsoidal, about 2 mm. 

 long and l):^ mm. wide. Clear white rather 

 compact, cottony matter. Eggs oval, pale 

 yellow, quite small Antennae concolorous 

 ■with the body or nearly so ; 7-jointed. 7 long- 

 est and thickest, 65-75 u long : 2 and 3 usual- 

 ly subequal, although 2 may be the longer, 

 and 1 is sometimes longer than 3,11 and 3 about 

 40 u long : joint 1 is usually about 30 u long ; 

 6.5 and 4 are more or les? globular in shape 

 and usually 6 is the longer and 4 and 5 are 

 subequal, although 4 may be the shortest ; 

 6 about 28 u long, 4and 5 about 25 u long. The following formulae 

 haye been observed: 



7213(46)5-721(346)5. 



7(23)1645-7^2)3465. 



7(23)16(45) 



7231654 



All the joints bearing rather large hairs. Legs concolorous with 

 the body, rather stout and large compared with the size of the body • 

 Femur 101 u long x 45 m wide ; tibia 93 u lonff ; tarsus 60 u long ; 

 tarsal digitules slender haii"S without knobs ; claw stout, with rather 

 large denticle, 17 ulong; digitules of claw long, slender knobbed. 

 Epidermis bearing rather numerous gland spots and some scatteretl, 

 rather large hairs. The margins of the abdominal segments bear 

 groups of conical spines, usually two conical spines in a group. 

 Anal ring with the usual six hairs. Caudal tubercles normal, each 

 with a rather large seta, 100 u long, and several large hairs and 

 conical spines. 



Habitat. — South I/awrence, Mass., October 15, 1898, on the 

 root of a plant in the nest of Lasius Americanus Em. 



This is the smallest Dactylopiid with which we are yet ac- 

 quainted, being probably a little smaller than Ripersia rumi- 

 cis Mask, which is given as 1-24 inch = 1 mm. This differs 

 from B. rumicis Mask, in being 7-jointed and not having the 

 antennae so close together. 



