136 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXIIL 



Ceroplastes actiniformis, Green, — This insect, which has never been noticed 

 in India before, has been found on the Loranthus attacking mango trees 

 in the neighbourhood of Poona and also on the banyan tree. The scales are 

 found singly distributed on the tender stems at the axils or on the midribs 

 of the leaves. 



Ceroplastes rubens, Maskell. — Has been noticed to occur attacking an 

 unidentified fern in a nursery at Poona. The scales were all arranged in a 

 row on the upper surface near the midrib of the fronds. 



Pulvinaria psidii, Mask. — Has been found on many plants, among them 

 being the mango tree, the guava tree and the tree Bassia latifolia. It is 

 a bad pest on guavas. In this case the whole tree is covered by what has 

 been happily described as "drops of white paint.'" The tree is recognisable 

 from a distance by these white specks and also from the black mould which 

 covers the leaves and tender branches. The scale attacks the green parts 

 seriously and covers them completely. During the off season, the scales 

 remain hidden under loose bark or knotty growths on the stem. 



Vinsonia stellifera, Westw. — Was found in large numbers on the leaves of 

 Garcinia indica in Bombay. I have not found it on any other plants in 

 Western India though it occurs on many in Ceylon. 



Sub-family — DACTYLOPiiNiE. 



Dactylopius virgatus, Kldl. — Is an extremely common species found in 

 almost all gardens in the neighbourhood of Poona attacking crotons. It is, 

 in fact, a regular pest on these plants especially when they are planted 

 close together. The scales sjDoil the appearance of the leaves, which become 

 distorted and sickly in appearance. 



It has also been collected on the adventitious roots of banyan trees by 

 Dr. H. H. Mann near Poona. In this case it was found in no other part of 

 the tree not even on the leaves, but on these adventitious roots, it was 

 very common indeed. 



Dactylopius nijKii, Mask. — This species occurs on scattered plants of 

 Cajanus indicus {arhar or tur). It apparently does litttle serious injury 

 as only a very few of the plants had these scales crowded round the grow- 

 ing tip of the plant, in which position it is fatal. This species is said to 

 be a pest on stored potatoes in Bengal, but I have never seen it on 

 potatoes in Western India. 



Phenacoccus hirsutus, Green. — This scale was collected by Dr. H. H. Mann 

 on the banyan {Ficus benc/alensis) at Mohol in the Sholapur district of the 

 Deccan. It occurred like Dactylopius virgatus only on these roots. 



Other very similar scales, not yet completely identified, have been found 

 near the axils of the leaves of banyan trees in Poona. 



Antonina anceps, n. sp. — Has been provisionally named by Mr. Green from 

 a few specimens I collected from under the sheathing leaves of a reed 

 bamboo. The scales were found crowded together in the axils, and some 

 were seriously distorted in shape on account of the number of them 

 occupying a limited space within the sheathing leaf. 



Sxib-f amily — AsTEROLECANiiisrfE . 



Asterolecanium miliaris, Borsd. — Is the only representative of this sub- 

 family yet found in Western India. This scale was found on two orna- 

 mental bush bamboos in Poona to a very destructive extent. The scale 

 was crowded on the undersurfaces of the leaves. 



Sub-family — Monophlebinoe. 



Icerya seychellarum, West. — This scale is quite rare. Only a few speci- 

 mens were found on mango shoots. It has not been observed on any other 

 plants in Western India. 



