26 ClIAS. K. BRAIN. 



Habitat : On roots of native shrub with red stems ; collected at De Wildt, 

 Pretoria District, Transvaal, by Claude Fuller, May 1915. The drawings (figs. 

 245-b) were kindly made from living material by the collector. 



Collection No. : 137. 



Genus Geroplastes, Gray. 

 Adult $ completely enveloped in a more or less dense covering of wax ; no marginal 

 fringe or radiating processes. Sometimes the waxy covering exhibits a variety 

 of arrangement in the form of definite plates or plaques. In other species the 

 covering is uniform in texture and is then most often soft, and contains a large per- 

 centage of watery fluid. On removing the wax a caudal prominence is generally 

 visible. Legs and antennae present, well developed. 



224. Ceroplastes bipartitus, Newst. 



Ceroplastes bipartitus, Newst., Bull. Ent. Res. viii, 1, p. 25, 1917. 



" Female test. Colour of dried specimens very like pale dirty beeswax. In 

 the young adults the test is broadly oval, somewhat hemispherical and divided 

 into nine plates : three bilateral, one cephalic, one anal and one dorsal, the last- 

 named with a conspicuous dark brown or blackish oval spot, with a central elongated 

 patch of pure white wax ; the nuclear spots to the lateral plates are smaller and 

 generally much less conspicuous than the dorsal one. Margin over the stigmatic 

 areas with a pair of laterally compressed and somewhat disc-shaped extensions,, 

 each extension carrying on its edge a narrow strip of opaque white wax, the tip 

 of which sometimes reaches the dark nuclear spot of the lateral thoracic plate. 

 In very old examples the test has increased in thickness considerably, but this has 

 been so much damaged in transit as to render it useless for descriptive purposes ; 

 however, one can trace the curious marginal extensions, which are somewhat like a 

 narrow-waisted and distorted bobbin, or the toy used in the once popular game 

 ' diabolo.' Average length of young adults, 3 mm. ; height 1*6-2 mm. ; average 

 lengtli of old adults, 6 mm. ; height doubtful. 



" Female adult. Denuded of w^ax, hemispherical ; caudal process very long, 

 varying in length from one-half to a little less than one-half the length of the 

 remaining portion of the insect. Submarginal tubercles small, but generally 

 clearly defined ; one cephalic and three bilateral, the two over the stigmata slightly 

 more pronounced than the rest. When examined under a high power lens, by 

 transmitted light, these tubercles are seen to be traversed by clear cell-like tracts 

 forming an irregular reticulated pattern. It is reasonable to assume, therefore, 

 that these may be the special set of glands which secrete the nuclear spots in the 

 centre of the plates in the test. Derm relatively thin, but strongly chitinised. 

 Pores minute, separated over a large portion of the dorsum by slightly varying 

 distances equalling the length of one of the short segments of the antennae or two of 

 them together. Stigmatic clefts relatively shallow, but very clearly defined ; spines 

 short, obconical, those at the extreme margin very minute and stud-like. Marginal 

 spines or hairs not traceable. Antennae of six segments, the 3rd longer than the 

 last three together. Legs normal. Length of denuded female, inclusive of the 

 caudal process, 4'5-4'6 mm. ; length of caudal process, r3-l-5 mm. 



