Maskell. — On New Zealand Coccida. 225 



pogon fraseri, on which Planchonia epacriclis is found, are often pretty closely 

 imbricated, and there would be considerable difficulty for the male to 

 impregnate the female if the abdomen of the latter were turned towards the 

 stem of the plant. By turning the abdomen towards the tip of the leaf the 

 male may with ease reach the female through the opening, just mentioned, 

 between the portions of the test. Accordingly, in several scores of speci- 

 mens which I have examined, the abdominal extremity of the test is directed 

 to the tip of the leaf. 



The test, in all cases which I have seen, is of two colours : one half, at 

 the cephalic end, is dark green, the other, or abdominal half, is bright yellow. 

 All round the edge runs, as in the second stage, a long silver fringe in 

 double row, one row over the other. The contrast of these colours with the 

 dark reddish-brown of the leaf is extremely beautiful. Average length of 

 the test yV to J^ inch, exclusive of fringe. 



The insect fills the whole test until gestation, after which it shrivels up, 

 as in the Lecanio-diaspidce, towards the cephalic end. It is, therefore, convex 

 above, flat below. Antennae, as in the second stage, reduced to rings with 

 hairs (fig. 34). Feet entkely absent. The four spiracles are somewhat 

 large : there are no spii'acular spines as in Lecanium. Anal tubercles small, 

 each bearing a seta : anal ring with six hairs. Along the edge of the body 

 is a row of the figure-of-8 spinnerets, as shown in fig. 36 : and all over the 

 dorsal surface are a large number of simple circular spinneret orifices from 

 which the test is secreted. Also a number of protruding tubes which stand' 

 out irregularly over the body like minute fingers, each cylindrical with a 

 slight expansion at the tip. The mentum is uni- articulate, globular : the 

 rostral set^ are short. 



On Leucopogon fraseri, as yet only fi'om Amberley, where it seems to be 

 pretty abundant in one locality. 



Having been obliged to send back to France my copy of M. Signoret's 

 work on the Homoptera (the only work of reference available for the order 

 at present), I am unable to say positively that Planchonia epacridis is a new 

 species. It is possible too that I may have been mistaken in assigning its 

 generic position, for I am not clear that the European Planchonia has not a 

 felted, instead of a waxy or glassy test. Of course such a difference would 

 be radical, because the secretion of wax and the secretion of felted matter 

 would mean a different description of organs. However, the occur- 

 rence of the insect in a locality far removed from imported plants would 

 seem to point to its being, at least, indigenous. I found it always on 

 Leucopogon, growing amongst the tussacks and native plants, with only 

 here and there a rare specimen of English grass or clover, from neither of 



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