208 Transactions.—Zoology. 
either to create a new subsection, or to attach so much elasticity to the 
existing classification as to allow these species to belong to the Lecanio- 
diaspide. I am loth to take the former course, because in their other 
characters they present little difficulty ; moreover, the context of the 
expression quoted above is not entirely free from doubt. I shall therefore 
proceed upon the second course. 
I have already said that the insects in this subsection combine the 
mentum and lobes of Lecanium with a test or carapace as in the Diaspide. 
In the species before me this test is whitish, glassy, and transparent in the 
earlier stages, often waxy on the old insects. A fringe more or less broad, 
and divided into segments more or less large, is seen in most species ; and 
the old female, after having produced her young, is generally found 
shrivelled up at the cephalic end of the test. 
Spinnerets are not to be made out in the earlier stages, but whan the 
insect is fully grown there may be seen, all round the edge of the body, a 
row of numerous cireular openings, and, especially in Ctenochiton viridis, 
other rows of minute oval marks disposed along the borders of seales like 
those of a tortoise. I imagine that these marks are the spinnerets. 
In this subsection I have two genera, both of which I believe to be new. 
CTENOCHITON, gen. nov. 
Four genera are included by Signoret in the subsection Lecanio- 
diaspidee :— 
lst, Pollinia, in which the test is globular, and the young insect pre- 
sents, instead of the abdominal lobes of Lecanium, the anal tubercles of 
Coccus, 
2nd, Asterolecanium, in which the fringe is double, and the females in 
most cases apodous. 
8rd, Planchonia, in which the test is felted, the adult female without 
feet or antennæ. 
4th, Lecanio-diaspis in which the test is also felted, but the female 
retains her antenne, 
It will be seen that my genus Ctenochiton does not agree with any of 
these. The young insect has the abdominallobes; the test is glassy and 
transparent, becoming waxy at a later period and, in one species, felted at 
the latest stage ; the females preserve their feet and antenne at least until 
after producing the young. 
6. Ctenochiton perforatus, sp. nov. 
Plate VIL, figs. 18, 14. 
This species is very common upon native trees and shrubs near 
Christchurch. Pittosporum, Drimys, Coprosma, Rubus, Panaz and many 
others are attacked by it, sometimes so much so that the underside of the 
leaves is scarcely to be seen for the number of insects covering them, 
TWAA BANA TAPE PPA aa 
AA a em eee EE Ne poet re NE RS 
