1894.1 59 



types of destructor had four groups of glands, but I fail to see them in 1 or 2. 



It is, therefore, evident that the grouped glands are sometimes absent, or so 



obscure as to escape observation. 

 Wax ducts. — Comstock says of palmarum : " between the caudal margin and the 



groups of spinnerets are isolated spinnerets (wax ducts)." These are also seen 



in nerii, vide Mr. Morgan's figure, Ent. Mo. Mag., Feb., 1889, pi. iii, fig. 1. 



They are quite plainly seen in the Grenada oocotis (7), and in destructor (1, 2). 

 Striation. — Several species of Aspidiotus (notably ostrecBformis, perniciosus, and 



puniccB) show a fine striation of the skin of the terminal portion. This is very 



plain in destructor (1, 2), cocotis (7), andfallax (3). 

 Male. — I have only seen the S of 2, 3, and 7. It is yellow and ordinary. The eyes 



are dark indigo-blue (7), or blue-black (2). The penis-sheath (3, 7) is longer 



than the abdomen ; but in 2 it appeared quite short, doubtless owing to the fact 



that the only ^ examined had not yet emerged from the puparium. The wings 



are of normal length. 

 Antenna of <J . — The antennae (7) are 10-jointed as usual, the two basal joints short 



(the second shortest) ; 4 and 5 equal, and longer than 3 ; last joint very 



slender. 



Legs of $ . — Tarsus (7) very bristly, about three-fourths length of tibi© ; claw long 



and nearly straight ; femur about as long as tibia. 

 Ji^ffff. — Pale yellowish (2). In fallax the egg seemed unusually elongate. 



It would seem from the above that either all these insects belong 

 to one species (as I believe), or else there are more species than the 

 current names indicate. The latter view would be based on the 

 assumption that the exact combination of characters seen in each 

 race is constant, and of specific value, an opinion which seems to me 

 contrary to all reasonable probability. It is true that Mr. Newstead 

 states that there is no resemblance between destructor and cocotis, but 

 I cannot believe that Mr. Maskell and I have wrongly identified the 

 former species, or that I misunderstand Mr. Newstead's clear descrip- 

 tion and characteristic figure of the latter. The species, therefore, 

 must stand as A. destructor ; unless it can be proved that destructor 

 falls before the earlier palmarum of Bouche. This would seem almost 

 certain, but for the reddish- jeWow exuviae attributed to palmarum. 



Tbe food-plants, as indicated above, are various. In addition, 

 Mr. Morgan (see Timehri, 1890, p. 370) has recognised destructor from 

 Demerara on Anona reticulata ; and Signoret records the same species 

 as found in Bourbon on the date palm and guava. 



Agricultural College, 



Las Cruces, New Mexico, U. S. A. : 



August 12th; 1893. 



[I have carefully examined the specimens of Aspidiotus destructor, on banana 



