52 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



A NEW SCALE-INSECT INFESTING DATE-PALMS. 



By T. D. a. Cockerell, N. M. Agr. Exp. Station. 



Parlatoria victrix, sp. nov. 



2 . Scale about 1 J mm. long, similar to P. zizyphus (which 

 I find on lemons), but the true scale white (in zizyphus it is 

 brownish) ; second skin black, bordered with pale ochreous (in 

 zizyphus it is all black) ; first skin narrower, often pale greenish, 

 and not so much overlapping second skin. 



(^ . Scale white. 



$ . (Boiled in potash) nearly colourless, tinged with brown. 

 No grouped ventral glands. Three pairs of lobes ; median four 

 rather close and equidistant from one another, the third lobes 

 more distant from the second. Lobes having about the shape of 

 an axe-blade, narrowest at base. Plates scale-like. Margin striate. 

 Mouth-parts far posterior. 



For the arrangement of the spines, plates, and lobes, see the 

 figures. 



Bah, On leaves of date-palm, sent from Tucson, Arizona, 

 by Prof. Touniey. Writing Dec. 28th, 1893, Prof. Toumey 

 says : — *' I send you to-day specimens of date-palm (Phoenix 

 dactylifera) infested with sp. of Parlatoria, ... I believe this 

 scale was brought here on trees imported from Africa, and 

 distributed by Department of Agriculture." 



These palms were originally from Cairo, so the insect is 

 probably Egyptian. It is curious that it has never been noticed 

 by European naturalists; the Aronidia blanchardi, lately described 

 by Targioni-Tozzetti, from date-palms in the Sahara, is evidently 

 a different thing. 



The insect was formerly considered to be Parlatoria zizyphus, 

 but on comparing it with true P, zizyphus (found on lemons) it 

 is evidently distinct. Mr. Pergande, of the Entomological 

 Division at Washington, has re-examined it from material I sent, 

 and is now also of this opinion. 



Las Cruces, New Mexico, U.S.A. 

 Feb. 5th, 1896. 



