18 CHAS. K. BRAIN. 



from those of Lecanium, so much so that, until the period of oviposition, it would be 

 impossible to determine whether an individual should be placed in the one or the 

 other genus." (Green). 



213. Pulvinaria aristolochiae, Newstead. (Pkte ii, fig. 242). 



Pulvinaria aristolochiae, Newst., Bull. Ent. Res. viii, p. 19, 1917. 



Adult $, immediately prior to forming the ovisac, about 8 mm. long and 4*5 mm. 

 broad, with thin margins and the dorsum rising to a distinct central prominence : 

 colour brown, with darker markings. The margin is supplied with a short fringe of 

 thin pale hairs ; from this to the raised centre extend a number of dark lines. 



Male puparium about 3 mm. long, moderately convex, dull white, not glassy, 

 with a distinct transverse ridge about the middle. Two white filaments protrude 

 from the posterior extremity some days prior to the emergence of the adult (5*. 

 Adults were emerging in July 1916. 



Antennae 8-jointed, range in a :— (1) 57-75, (2) 68-75, (3) 187-190, (4) 95-102, 

 (5) 78-85, (6) 34-47, (7) 24-34, (8) 41-44. 



Leg I : coxa 185, femur + trochanter 400, tibia 262, tarsus 123, claw 34//. 



Anal plate about 250// long. Marginal spines short (27-35/^), many appearing 

 truncate. 



As Professor Newstead did not have the opportunity of examining living material 

 the above particulars are given to supplement his description which is as follows : — 



" Female, adult. More or less cordate in outhne and rather flattened ; dorsum 

 almost completely covered w^ith a well-defined layer of flake-like wax which varies 

 in colour from dirty grey to greyish brown. Antennae of eight segments ; 3rcl, 

 4th and 5th unusually long, the tw^o first-named swollen distally ; 3rd about twice 

 the length of the 4th ; three long hairs on 2nd, one of which lies (in three examples) 

 close up to the succeeding segment ; there is also a long distal hair on the 3rd ; 

 two on the 5th ; a single spine on the 6th, 7th and 8th, the last-named also with a 

 few very short hairs. Legs stout, long ; tarsus relatively very short, less than 

 one-third the length of the tibia ; lower digitules long and very broadly spathulif orm. 

 Marginal spines stout, pointed, and placed rather close together ; stigmatic spines 

 broken away in all the specimens, their points of attachment being continuous with 

 the marginal series. Submarginal pores very large, continuous, but rather widely 

 separated. Anal lobes with four stout spines near the apex, on the inner edge. 

 Anal cleft short, usually a httle less than one-sixth the entire length of the body. 

 Anal ring with eight hairs. No derm cells present ; but there are numerous 

 circular spinnerets (? ventral), each having an inner concentric ring. Length 

 5" 7-7 '6 mm. 



" Ovisac pure white and closely felted, long and generally tortuous. Length 

 10-20 mm." 



This insect shows great similarity to P. jacksoni, New^stead. Both have remark- 

 ably long joint 3 to the antennae, which in jacksoni is almost 120//, in aristolochiae 

 about 180/1. Further both produce extremely long ovisacs. 



Habitat : On stems of Erythrina cqffra Thunb., (Kaffir-boom), Natal Coast. 



Collection Nos. : 79 and 84. 



