110 



The Sugar Cane Mealy Bugs. 



(Pseudococcus calceolariae Mask, and P. sacchari Ckll.). 



[Hemiptera-Homopteka ; Coccidae.] 



by .jacob kotinsky. 



That the mealy bug so common on sugar cane on these islands 

 is the well-known P. calceolariae we have it on the authority of 

 Mr. Koebele^. Maskell's authority for this species- is appar- 

 ently an error. Mr. Terry's recent discovery of another mealy 

 bug on sugar cane in Hawaii led the writer to a study of the old 

 species also, the former having been referred to him for identifi- 

 cation. Mr. Terry's specimens are on the average considerably 

 smaller than calceolariae, greyish in color, and fairly imbedded 

 in the cottony egg-sacks full of eggs.. Microscopic preparations 

 show also larger legs and differences in antennal proportions. 

 But to our surprise the measurements of these correspond ex- 

 actly with those given by Prof. CockerelP for P. calceolariae. 

 A discrepancy somewhere was evident. Careful perusal of avail- 

 able literature seems to have cleared the mystery and disclosed 

 some interesting facts. 



Maskell says^ of P. calceolariae "adult female dull-pink in 

 color, length variable, Vs-Vi. in." Maxwell-Lefroy says^ under 

 Dactylopius sacchari "Both this species and D. calceolariae occur 

 together on the canes in Barbadoes, but they may be known by 

 their color (olivaceous or pinkish), their shape (cylindrical or 

 pyriform), length of leg (short or long) and by the antennal 

 formula. There are also differences in the appearance of the 

 waxy covering and filaments." The same author calls calceo- 

 lariae^ "The Pink sugar cane Mealy Bug" and says further "A 

 large insect, sparsely covered with white wax, the body is pink 

 and rounded, legs short. " Of sacchari, which he calls "The Grey 

 sugar cane mealy bug," he says''^ "A moderately large insect, cov- 

 ered in mealy wax, the body of a gray or olivaceous color, legs 



1 Rep't. Min. Inter., (1898), p. 107. 



2 Fauna Haw. III., p. 103. 



3 Proc. Acad. Nat. 



4 Ins. Nox. Agr. N. Z., p. 100 (1887). 

 5W. Ind. Bull. III., p. 264. 



6 Scale Insects Lessrs. Ant. Pt. II., p. 24. 



7 Loc. cit., p. 27. 



Proc. Haw. Ent. Soc. II, No. 3, May, 1910. 



