110 



I should observe that, if the characters of Monophlebus hitherto 

 given were correct, the insects above described, liaving only nine 

 joints in the female antenna, could not be adult. But, in the 

 iirst place, the whole appearance of the female, its free locomotion, 

 its cottony envelope, its general form, all point clearly to its adult 

 state. Secondly, and this is most important, the tibia is a great 

 deal longer than the tarsus : and this, all through the Coccid 

 family, with the exception of a very few genera, is only the case in 

 the adult. I should be very much surprised if the female I have 

 been describing ever turns out to be anything but full-grown. 



PARASITES. 



Coccids are greatly subject to attacks from parasitic enemies, 

 chiefly Hymenoptera, sometimes Diptera. If it were not so, 

 their ravages, which are quite bad enough as it is, would be en- 

 tirely destructive ; the parasites keep them very much in check. 

 Amongst the insects described in this paper two clearly show 

 parasites. I found five dead female Aspid. eucalypti, each con- 

 taining the pupa-case of a hymenopterous parasite which had 

 emerged and flown away ; and Mr. Crawford has sent me four 

 female 2Ionoplilebus, which are literally riddled like sieves with 

 holes from which small dipterous flies have emerged. In Xew 

 Zealand I have never yet found more than one parasite in a 

 Coccid; these South Australian insects evidently can harbour 

 many ; I counted 69 holes in one MonophJehus. These flies appear 

 to be of the same kind as that which Mr. Crawford has reported 

 as killing Icerya Furchasi ; but I am not sufliciently acquainted 

 with the Diptera to identify them. The group Monophlebidse 

 (always excepting Icerya) are not, I think, injurious insects ; and 

 if they will breed numbers of parasitic flies which may also attack 

 other and worse pests than they are, they might even be en- 

 couraged, if possible. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES XIL TO XIV. 



Plate XII. 



Eio-. I. Aspidiottts eucalypti, sp. nov. Insects male and female in puparia 

 on bark of eucalyptus ; nat. size. 



a. Female puparia, upper side. 



b. Female puparium, underside with female. 



c. Male puparia, upper side. 



d. Adult female. 



c. Abdomen and pygidium of female with spinnerets. 

 Fio", 2, Chionaspis assiviilis, sp. nov. Insects male and female in puparia 

 on bark of eucalyptus ; nat. size. 



a. Female puparium, upper side. 



b. Female, under side with female. 



c. ]SIale puparia, upper side showing carination. 



d. Adult female. 



e. Abdomen and pygidium of do. 'with spinneret groups. 

 /. Larva underside, showing rostrum. 



i 



