SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



77 



AUSTK ALLAN GALL-COCCIDAE. 



By James Lidgett, 



I OFTEN receive inquiries from abroad con- 

 cerning gall-coccids and their habits. As 

 they are endemic to Australia, the accompanying 

 descriptions and illustrations of new species, 

 typical of the genus, will, no doubt, be of interest 

 to many readers of Science-Gossip. Thirty -four 

 species of gall-making coccids have been already 

 described from the Australian continent, and this 

 number will, no doubt, be greatly increased with 

 future investigation. A gall-making coccid has 

 recently been discovered in America, and is there- 

 fore a problem of considerable geographical 

 importance. 



Order HOMOPTERA. 



Family Coccidae. 



Sub-family Brachyscelinae. 



Bracliyscelis turbinata, sp. nov. 



Female. Pale yellow in colour, the anal 

 segment and appendages dark brown, which colour 

 proceeds laterally as far as the sixth. The whole 

 surface is powdered thickly with a mealy white 

 secretion, characteristic of the genus. Thorax 

 much compressed, forming a flange. Apical 

 extremity ending in a bead-like prominence. Just 

 below the junction of the thorax are several 

 circular depressions divided by a longitudinal 

 deep groove. Four rather deep grooves occur also 

 on the dorsum ; legs short and stout, anterior 

 pair shortest, hind pair longest. Femora large; 

 rounded, bearing several hairs. Antennae rudi- 

 mentary, apparently wanting in some specimens. 

 Length, 9 mm. Width, 5 mm. 



Larva. Orange-yellow, margin obtusely crenu- 

 lated, spines alate and strongly developed. Length, 

 050 mm. 



Female galls are large hypertrophic swellings or 

 tumours, varying in size and shape according to 

 age. Gall-chamber cylindro-conical, hard, waxy, 

 externally quite smooth and shining, brownish in 

 colour, internally covered with a powdery white 

 meal. The test is surrounded by more or less 

 swelling of the plants, usually forming large glo. 

 bular galls varying in diameter from ^ inch to 

 2 inches. The open base of the test is attached 

 to the wood of the tree, and the galls occur mostly 

 on branches with a diameter of not more than half 

 an inch. Many galls are often attached to the 

 same twig, after the manner shown in the illustra- 

 tion, and the appearance thus presented is very 

 remarkable. The test of this species is very like 

 that of Frenchia casvarinae Maskell. 



Habitat. On Eucalyptus goniocalyx F. v. M, 

 Myrniong, Victoria, Australia. 



Bracliyscelis mimita Shr., var elongata var. nov. 



Female. Gall like B. munita, but the surface 

 is everywhere deeply punctate, and is more 

 elongated; sessile. The four "horns" are cylin- 

 drical, terminating in a fine point. Gall-chamber 

 | inch long and f inch wide. The anal appendage 

 is usually projected through the apical opening,, 

 which is larger and more triangular than in typical 

 B. munita. A granular mealy substance is scattered 

 over the whole surface ; but this is probably carried 



Australian Coccidae. 



1. Bracliyscelis turUnala : galls on twig. 2. Adult female. 

 3. Test. 4. Abdominal segments, magnified. 5. Larva, magni- 

 fied. 6. Spinneret, magnified. 7. Foot. 8. Bracliyscelis munita. 

 var. elongata : gall on twig. 9. Adult female. 10. Foot. 



there by ants. Always placed singly on the branch, 

 whilst typical B. munita is mostly found in clusters. 

 Adult female longer and nariower than in B. 

 munita, the anal segment and appendages being* 

 twice as long. 



