132 FRED. V. THEOBALD. 



Transvaal: Onderstepoort, 24.vii.14 {G. Bedford). 



Food-plant. Violets (Viola sp.). 



Described from several alate females. It is a very marked and pretty species, which 

 bears a strong superficial resemblance to Essig's Rhopalosiphum violae described from 

 America, but the marked wing venation at once separates it, in spite of the fact that 

 the ornamentation of the wings is very similar ; it differs also in colour. Mr. Bedford 

 writes that " the winged form was common for about two weeks. Then this aphis 

 disappeared from the violets. I have not seen them since." The colours were noted 

 when ahve and also the colours of the young and apterae, none of which were sent me. 



Chaitophorus populi, L. (fig. 24). 

 Aphis populi, L. 

 Aphis populeti, Panz. 

 Aphis populi-albae, Boyer. 

 Chaitophorus versicolor, Koch. 

 Arctaphis populi, Walk. 

 Chaitophorus leucomelas, Koch. 

 Chaitophorus leucomelas v. lyratus, Ferrari. 



Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ii, p. 736 (1767), Faun. Suec, p. 997 (1789) ; Keaumur, 

 Ins., iii, pi. 26, figs. 7-11 and pi. 27, figs. 1-14 (1737) ; Fabricius, Sp. Ins., ii, p. 386 

 (1781), Ent. Syst., iv, p. 216 (1794), Mant. Ins. ii, p. 326 (1802), Syst. Rhyng., 

 298 (1803) ; Schrank, Fn. Boica, ii, 1, p. 113 (1801) ; Hausmann, IlHg. Mag., i, 

 p. 443 (1802) ; Rossi, Fn. Etrusc, p. 260 (1790) ; Samouelle, Ent. Comp., i, p. 4 

 (1819) ; Kaltenbach, Mono. Pflanz., i, p. 126 (1843) ; Ratzeburg, Forst. Ins., iii 

 p. 218 (1844) ; Walker, Ann. Nat. Hist. (2) i, p. 445 (1848) ; Panzer, Faun. Ins. Germ 

 xxvii, p. 18 (1812) ; Boyer de Fonscolombe, Ann. Soc. Ent. France, x, p. 187 (1841) 

 Walker, Cat. Homop. Brit. Mus., p. 948 (1852) ; Koch, Die Pflanz., p. 10, pi. ii 

 figs. 14 and 15 and p. 4, pi. 1, figs. 5 and 6 (1857) ; Passerini, Aphid. Ital., p. 57 (1863) 

 Ferrari, Spec. Aphid. Liguriae, p. 232 (1872) ; Buckton, Mono. Brit. Aphid., ii, p. 140 

 pi. Ixxxii, figs. 3-5 (1877) ; Wittaczil, Denks. Akad. Wiss. Wien, p. 387, pis. i and ii 

 (1884) ; Schouteden, Mem. Soc. Ent. Belg., xii, p. 213 (1906). 



Egypt : Gizeh, 3 .i, and 31 . iii . 1910 [F. C. Willcocks). — Widely distributed in Europe. 



Food-plants. Populus albus, P. tremula, P. dilatata, P. nigra and Prunus sp. 



Mr. Willcocks found this Chaitophorus on the under sides of the leaves of Populus 

 albus in Egypt in aU stages and noticed that it produced considerable quantities of 

 honey-dew at certain times ; the upper surface of the leaves was black with Melliola 

 sp., a saphrophytic fungus on the honeydew. There is no doubt that it is the 

 European Chaitophorus populi, L., which is a very variable species as regards colour. 

 The colours of the Hving insects are as follows : — • 



Alate viviparous female. — " Head shiny black ; eyes very deep red to red. Antennae 

 with 1st segment black, darker than 2nd ; 2nd dusky or dusky ochreous ; 3rd with 

 basal J dusky ochreous, rest black ; 4, 5 and 6 black. Pronotum dark greenish, with 

 broad shiny black prothoracic collar ; mesothorax shiny, black ; hairs pale. Wings 

 with the costa dusky, cubitus yellowish, stigma black, veins ochreous ; wing in- 

 sertions yellow. Legs, 1st pair with femur and tibia ochreous or ochreous brown, 



