COCCID INJURIOUS TO PINE TREES IN THE HIMALAYAS. 397 



" Newly emerged larva also yellow, soon changing to pale pink. On leaving the 

 female cell and settling on the needles the larvae are pale salmon pink, and covered 

 with a white waxy powder." 



Dr. A. D. Imms, who had personal experience of the insect in India, adds the 

 following observations :• — 



" My attention was first called to the insect by Mr. C. M. McCrie, a forest officer, 

 who noted it at Binsar. It attacks yoimg plants up to about 8 feet high mostly. 

 It is a very destructive insect and the adult female is coated externally with a thick 

 gummy investment extremely like- — in colour and appearance- — to gum arable. The 

 young Coccids on hatching at first.crawl up the twigs and ensconce themselves between 

 the pine needles and feed thereon, and for that reason are hard to find. Later on they 

 settle down on the growing twigs themselves. In wet weather the gummy covering 

 of the insect becomes soft and sticky, and a fungus germinates readily on it and 

 produces a black appearance which at first sight appears to belong to the Coccid. 

 I found it very abundant at Takula, Binsar, Bhowali and Kamgarh (all in Kumaon) 

 at elevations of 4,000 to 5,800 feet. It appears to be commonest on hot sunny hill- 

 sides. Badly affected trees grow very little in height, only in thickness. It is not, 

 however, absolutely confined to young plants ; I have had branches cut off large 

 trees at a distance of 50 feet from the ground, and found the scale thereon, but not 

 plentifully. It is much attacked by Coccinellidae and parasitic Hymenoptera, and 

 ants swarm on badly affected trees." 



It is not clear whether the " gummy cells " are secreted by the insect or whether 

 they are composed of an exudation from the plant. I have not examined these cells, 

 specimens sent from India having been lost in transit. The derm of the adult insect 

 displays no special glands such as might be expected if the gummy matter were 

 produced by the creature itself. 



I place the species in the genus Ripersia with some hesitation. The characters 

 are not exactly typical, but agree more nearly with those of this than of the allied 

 genus Pseudococcus. 



