﻿Maskell. 
  — 
  On 
  some 
  Coccidse 
  in 
  Neiv 
  Zealand. 
  221 
  

  

  Only 
  one 
  species 
  of 
  this 
  genus 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  known, 
  and 
  that 
  is 
  Icerya 
  

   sacchari,. 
  an 
  insect 
  which, 
  in 
  Mauritius, 
  does 
  great 
  injury 
  to 
  the 
  sugar- 
  

   canes. 
  M. 
  Signoret 
  describes 
  this 
  species, 
  which 
  differs 
  from 
  the 
  one 
  I 
  am 
  

   describing 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  particulars. 
  First, 
  its 
  general 
  colour 
  is 
  yellow 
  ; 
  secondly, 
  

   its 
  cottony 
  fibres 
  appear 
  to 
  envelope 
  it 
  more 
  completely 
  than 
  in 
  my 
  species 
  ; 
  

   thirdly, 
  the 
  segments 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  are 
  more 
  clearly 
  defined 
  ; 
  fourthly, 
  the 
  

   young 
  insect 
  is 
  more 
  hairy, 
  and 
  the 
  hairs 
  are 
  not 
  similarly 
  arranged 
  ; 
  fifthly, 
  

   the 
  abdomen 
  ends 
  in 
  a 
  trifoliated 
  lobe, 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  case 
  in 
  my 
  species. 
  

   I 
  imagine, 
  then, 
  that 
  the 
  insect 
  from 
  Auckland 
  is 
  new, 
  and 
  I 
  take 
  the 
  

   liberty 
  of 
  naming 
  it 
  after 
  the 
  Rev. 
  Dr. 
  Purchas 
  who, 
  I 
  believe, 
  first 
  found 
  it, 
  

  

  Icerya 
  purchasi, 
  sp. 
  nov. 
  

  

  Plate 
  VIII., 
  figs. 
  20 
  and 
  21. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  resemble 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  Coccidse 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  

   red 
  in 
  colour. 
  The 
  young 
  insect 
  emerging 
  from 
  the 
  nest 
  is 
  reddish, 
  

   inclining 
  to 
  brown. 
  The 
  body, 
  fig. 
  20a, 
  is 
  oval, 
  hairy, 
  with 
  a 
  quantity 
  of 
  

   cottony 
  down 
  beginning 
  to 
  cover 
  it. 
  The 
  antennae 
  have 
  six 
  joints, 
  fig. 
  20/, 
  

   the 
  first 
  wide. 
  and 
  short, 
  the 
  next 
  four 
  a 
  little 
  longer 
  and 
  about 
  equal 
  to 
  each 
  

   other, 
  the 
  sixth 
  much 
  larger, 
  club-shaped, 
  having 
  apparently 
  four 
  segments 
  

   joined 
  together. 
  All 
  the 
  joints 
  have 
  a 
  few 
  hairs 
  ; 
  on 
  the 
  sixth 
  are 
  several, 
  

   of 
  which 
  four 
  are 
  very 
  much 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  rest. 
  The 
  legs 
  are 
  brown, 
  

   thin. 
  The 
  coxa 
  and 
  femur 
  moderately 
  large, 
  the 
  tibia 
  and 
  tarsus 
  long 
  

   and 
  thin. 
  The 
  tibia 
  and 
  tarsus 
  have 
  several 
  long 
  hairs. 
  The 
  claw 
  is 
  some- 
  

   what 
  long. 
  I 
  am 
  not 
  sure 
  about 
  the 
  upper 
  digitules, 
  but 
  they 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  

   only 
  hairs 
  ; 
  the 
  lower 
  pair 
  are 
  a 
  little 
  wider, 
  bent 
  hke 
  a 
  hook. 
  

  

  The 
  eyes 
  are 
  prominent, 
  tubercular, 
  set 
  behind 
  the 
  antennee. 
  The 
  

   men 
  turn, 
  which 
  is 
  broad 
  and 
  thick, 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  hi- 
  articulate. 
  The 
  rostral 
  

   setse 
  are 
  not 
  long. 
  

  

  The 
  abdomen 
  ends 
  in 
  a 
  smooth 
  curve, 
  but 
  at 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  centre 
  are 
  

   three 
  small 
  lobes 
  from 
  which 
  start 
  six 
  very 
  long 
  hairs, 
  as 
  long 
  or 
  longer 
  

   than 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  insect. 
  

  

  Six 
  rows 
  of 
  spinnerets 
  are 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  body, 
  four 
  along 
  the 
  middle 
  and 
  

   one 
  at 
  each 
  side. 
  Alternating 
  with 
  these 
  are 
  rows 
  of 
  hairs. 
  

  

  In 
  its 
  next 
  stage 
  the 
  female 
  insect 
  becomes 
  somewhat 
  altered. 
  Its 
  out- 
  

   line 
  is 
  still 
  oval, 
  but 
  not 
  so 
  regular, 
  and 
  its 
  colour 
  is 
  a 
  darker 
  red, 
  nearly 
  

   brown, 
  under 
  the 
  white 
  curly 
  cotton 
  which 
  covers 
  it. 
  The 
  six 
  hairs 
  of 
  the 
  

   abdomen 
  are 
  still 
  visible, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  much 
  shorter 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  young 
  

   insect, 
  scarcely 
  appearing 
  beyond 
  the 
  other 
  hau-s 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  Maceration 
  

   in 
  potash 
  and 
  sixbsequent 
  mounting 
  get 
  rid 
  both 
  of 
  the 
  interior 
  substance 
  

   and 
  of 
  the 
  cotton, 
  and 
  the 
  insect 
  is 
  then 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  much 
  more 
  hairy 
  than 
  

   the 
  young. 
  The 
  hairs 
  are 
  short, 
  and 
  distributed 
  pretty 
  thickly 
  over 
  the 
  

   thoracic 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  body, 
  less 
  thickly 
  on 
  the 
  abdomen 
  ; 
  but 
  all 
  round 
  

   the 
  edge 
  they 
  are 
  placed 
  in 
  tufts 
  close 
  together, 
  each 
  tuft 
  containing 
  twenty 
  

   or 
  thii'ty 
  hairs 
  ; 
  fig. 
  206. 
  

  

  