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A NEW GENUS OF SOUTH AFEICAN COCCID^. 

 By T. D. a. Cockerell. 



Halimococcus, n. gen. 

 A Dactylopiine Coccid enclosed in a horny sac shaped like 

 that of Solenococcm, without legs or antennae in the adult. 

 Larva with no rows of dorsal spines, no hairs on anal ring, and 

 no caudal tubercles, but four long caudal bristles as in Phoenico- 

 coccus. Closely related to Phoenicococcus (which lives in Algeria), 

 but distinguished by the form of the sac, which exactly imitates 

 that of Solenococcus. 



Halimococcus lampas, n. sp. 



? . Enclosed in a dark brown horny sac (which is not dissolved by 

 liquor potassas), which is shaped like a Tcrebratnla shell, i.e. oval, with 

 the end raised and terminating in an orifice. Length of sac 510 /x, 

 breadth 300, breadth of orifice about QQ /j.. The orifice is closed by a 

 reticulated plate, except basally, where there is a semilunar opening. 

 In immature examples the sac is prominently segmented on the ven- 

 tral side. 



^ . Scale small, cylindrical, horny, ferruginous, of the same 

 texture as that of the female, but usually somewhat paler. Length 

 350 /x, breadth 140. The end comes off, leaving a round opening, as 

 in Muscid pupte. 



? . A mere bag, with well-developed mouth and spiracles. 



Larva. — Bather narrow; legs and antennae present. No caudal 

 tubercles, but two pairs of long caudal bristles ; two small bristles 

 close to these. Antennae about 45 /x long, six-joiuted, last joint much 

 the longest. No dorsal spines. Last antennal joint with two long 

 bristles. Femur remarkably stout, about 15 /x broad ; length of femur 

 -j- trochanter about 30 /x. 



Older specimens have actually shorter (36 /x) antennae, with joint 6 

 longer than 4 + 5 ; 5 longer than 3, 3 longer than 4, 1 large. 



A few white curled waxen threads protrude from beneath the sacs 

 of the females. 



Hah. In great numbers on upper sides of leaves of palm on 

 the coast of Natal (Claude Fuller, No. 3). A remarkable insect, 

 essentially a modification of the Phoenicococcus type. AVith 

 H. lampas in Natal, and P. marlatti in Algeria, it is not difficult 

 to imagine the existence of a whole series of such forms in the 

 vast intermediate region, the coccids of which are almost wholly 

 unknown. 



East Las Vegas, New Mexico, U.S.A. 

 Nov. 1st, 1901. 



