142 WK. E. p. STEBP.IXG ON THE 



On the Life-History of a New MonopJilehus from India, with a 

 Note on that of a Vedalia predaceous upon it. With a 

 few Eemarks on the Monophlelince of the Indian Eegion. 

 By E. P. Stebbikg, r.L.S., E.E.S. 



[Read 5th NoTember, 1903.] 

 (Plates 16-18.) 



Part I. — Memarlcs on the Monophlebince of the Indian Region. 



The Monophlelince, a suhfamily of the Coccidse, are a group of 

 scale-insects about whose habits little until recently was known 

 in India. In fact, up to 1901 but five species of the genus 

 Monophleius had been recorded from the Indian Eegion, and of 

 this number four were described from the male insect alone, the 

 females being still unknown. The discovery by the writer in 1901 

 of both the males and females of two new species was therefore 

 of some interest and importance, but what is perhaps of equal 

 value is that the life-history of one of them has been to some degree 

 worked out, and its habits during one portion of its existence 

 carefully and accurately noted. The species discovered in 

 1901 were sent to Mr. E. Ernest Green, Grovernment Ento- 

 mologist, Ceylon. Two were respectively named by him Mono- 

 phlehus Stehbingi and M. Dalhergice, whilst a third, of which the 

 females only had been procured, was provisionally named 

 M. TectoncB, the material proving insufficient for correct identi- 

 fication. In the following year further forms of this genus were 

 discovered. One, of which both male and female were procured, 

 was determined by Mr. Green as 31. Stehbingi, var. mangiferae. 

 Others were discovered by the writer in Madras upon teak, 

 Anogeissus latifoUa, and Terminalia tomentosa. Only female 

 specimens were taken, and these have yet to be dealt with, as 

 also has a species which appears to be very numerous in Sind, 

 but of which only the females have as yet been found, and 

 another, reported as living upon the mango in Tirhoot and 

 Dharbanga, in Bengal. It is a curious point about the genus 

 that all the female insects yet discovered have a great resemblance 

 to one another, being whitish oval thick scales. The deter- 

 mination of the species therefore requires the discovery of 

 the males.. 



