112 CHAS. K. BRAIN. 



wine-red, with the posterior segments rendered conspicuous by the accumulation 

 of white powdery secretion. Strong glassy filaments are produced from the pointed 

 tip and extend through the opening of the normal gall. These have never been 

 observed protruding from galls of type B. When cleared and mounted the insect 

 is seen to possess both legs and antennae. The body is hyaline, except the mouth- 

 parts, legs, antennae, and posterior extremity with the stout spines, which are more 

 heavily chitinised. 



Male puparia clustered on the lower sides of the leaves, generally around the conical 

 parts of the galls. Male puparium about 1 mm. long and rather more than half as 

 broad, with the dorsum densely matted with white waxy filaments. Before forming 

 puparia the males are first of all yellow, and bright pink when older. 



Habitat : Causing galls in the leaves of a native tree (Apodytes dimidiata, L. Mey.), 

 Durban ; collected by C. P. v. d. Merwe, 10th July 1916. Also on the stunted beach 

 form of this plant at Illovo Kiver, Natal ; collected by Claude Fuller, 5th August 1916. 



Remarks : I have pleasure in associating the collector's name with this interesting 

 species. The insects were in the adult stage and contained well-developed embryos 

 when collected in July. 



Mr. T. R. Sim in his " Forest Flora of Cape Colony " mentions and figures " calyx- 

 like galls " on the leaves of this tree. Since describing this species I have received 

 galls similar to Mr. Sim's description and figure on smaller leaves said to be of the 

 same species of host-plant, but these did not contain insects in suitable condition 

 to determine whether they belong to this same species. They do, however, 

 undoubtedly belong to the same genus. In reply to a query concerning the insect 

 Mr. Sim writes (2nd February 1917) " I am under the impression that the insect 

 gall appears wherever the tree grows, from the coast to the Drakensberg, though 

 as the subject is not quite in my line, I made no special observations. I remember 

 it on the East London, Durban-Coast, Mid-Natal and Amatola Ranges, but am not 

 sure in regard to the Drakensberg, where the tree is frequent." 



Collection No. : 104. 



Sub-family Asterolecaniinae. 

 Genus Amorphococcus, Green. 



Amorphococcus, Green, Ent. Mo. Mag. xxxviii, p. 261, 1902. 



" Insect enclosed in galls. Adult female forming no test ; naked or partially 

 enveloped in the nymphal pellicle. Antennae rudimentary. Limbs wanting. 

 Mentum monomerous, without stigmatic spines. Derm without cribriform plates 

 or paired glands. Anal lobes minute or obsolescent. Anal ring setiferous. 



" Larva with conspicuous 8-shaped glands giving rise to curling glassy filaments. 

 The characters of the larva clearly indicate the relationship of this abnormal genus 

 to Asterolecanium. 



" Probably allied to Maskell's genus Frenchia." (Green). 



67. Amorphoccus acaciae, sp. n. (Plates hi & iv, figs. 75 & 79). 



Adult $ causing flatly rounded, circular, blister-lite galls on the stems of Acacia sp. 



Gall of adult $ about 2'5 mm. in diameter, and 1 mm. high, circular, curving 

 from stem to centre of gall, which is perforate with a circular orifice (figs. 75, 75a). 



