60 Indian Economic Enfomologi/. [ Vol. 11, 



The form of tlie male puparium forbids the introduction of this 

 species into the g-enus Diaspisy but I think none of the described species 

 of Aspiniotus has the female pellicles so close to the margin as this one. 

 The " lattice. work " arrangement on the dorsal surface of the pygidiura 

 is peculiar and destructive. The only other instance in which this 

 curious feature is reported (as far as I am aware) is in Iscfinaspis fits- 

 formis, Douglas (Kntom. Month. Mag, Vol. XXIV, page 27), but in 

 the description of that species it is not stated whether the lattice- work 

 is on the dorsal or the ventral surface. 



Chionaspis thece, Maskell, sp. nov. 



[Plate I,fg. 2 a, h, c.) 



Female puparium (figure a), light- brown, pyriform, flattish : pellicles 

 brownish-yellow, small length, averaging about -^-^ inch, 



Male puparium (figure b) white; deeply and conspicuously carinated ; 

 sides more or less parallel : carinations three or four. Pellicle small, 

 yellow. Texture very loose, the puparium having the appearance of 

 three or four short, nearly disconnected, white cottony tubes. Length 

 averaging about -^-^ inch, breadth about y^^ inch. 



Adult female brown, elongated, form normal of the genus, with 

 conspicuous posterior segments. Abdomen ending in two median lobes 

 with two others smaller at each side : a deepish median depression : 

 sliort spines between the lobes, and on the margin three others on each 

 side, the upper pairs of which are rather long and strong. On the last 

 segment above the pygidium two or three longish spines. Five groups 

 of spinnerets : upper group, 8 orifices : upper laterals, 13 and 16 : lower 

 laterals, 14 : between the groups- and the margin a row of single spin- 

 nerets. Rudimentary antennae can be detected on the head. Length of 

 insect about ^-^ inch. 



Adult male unknown. 



Habitat. — On tea (Kaugra valley. Northern India). 



The brown female puparium, the arrangement of the spines on the 

 pygidium and ihe loose little male puparium, distinguish this from 

 almost all other species of the genus : but it seems, at least in the 

 female, to be very closely allied to C. hrasiliensis, Signoret. The male 

 puparium, however, in that species is stated to be four times as long as 

 broad, and in texture does not differ from those of other Chionaspides, 

 whereas in C. thece it is half as broad as long, and loose in texture. 



G roup — Lecanidiva. 

 Sub-division — Lecano Coccidce, Masked. 

 Genus —Erioc/iiton, Masked. 



Adult female insects covering themselves with a test of felted matter. 



