﻿108 
  CHAS. 
  K. 
  BRAIN. 
  

  

  Habitat 
  : 
  On 
  citrus, 
  Warmbaths 
  (Tvl.). 
  On 
  Chaetachne 
  aristata 
  (umkavoti), 
  

   Durban, 
  Natal 
  ; 
  palms, 
  East 
  London, 
  Durban 
  and 
  Pretoria 
  ; 
  Aucuba, 
  East 
  London. 
  

   On 
  Dracaena 
  australis, 
  East 
  London 
  ; 
  collected 
  by 
  C.P. 
  Lounsbury, 
  November 
  1906. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  particularly 
  abundant 
  on 
  citrus 
  at 
  Warmbaths, 
  Transvaal. 
  

  

  Collection 
  Nos. 
  : 
  277-2776 
  and 
  278. 
  

  

  Subfamily 
  Asterolecaniinae. 
  

  

  Adult 
  females 
  fixed 
  to 
  the 
  stem 
  of 
  their 
  host-plants 
  ; 
  sometimes 
  causing 
  pits 
  in 
  the 
  

   stems 
  and 
  thus 
  becoming 
  slightly 
  or 
  almost 
  entirely 
  embedded 
  in 
  the 
  outer 
  tissues. 
  

   Adults 
  usually 
  enclosed 
  in 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  horny 
  or 
  glassy 
  cyst, 
  which 
  is 
  most 
  often 
  

   yellow 
  in 
  colour 
  and, 
  in 
  one 
  genus, 
  has 
  a 
  marginal 
  fringe 
  of 
  glassy 
  filaments. 
  The 
  

   legs 
  and 
  antennae 
  are 
  most 
  often 
  rudimentary 
  or 
  absent 
  in 
  the 
  adult 
  stage. 
  Figure-8 
  

   glands 
  are 
  present 
  in 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  stages. 
  

  

  This 
  subfamily 
  is 
  represented 
  in 
  South 
  Africa 
  by 
  four 
  genera 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  

   distinguished 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Test 
  of 
  $ 
  usually 
  yellowish, 
  ± 
  transparent, 
  with 
  marginal 
  fringe 
  . 
  . 
  Asterolecanium. 
  

   Test 
  of 
  5 
  dense, 
  almost 
  ligneous, 
  without 
  fringe 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  Lecaniodiaspis. 
  

  

  Test 
  of 
  § 
  ± 
  waxy 
  and 
  without 
  fringe, 
  2 
  without 
  stigmatic 
  spines 
  Cerococcus. 
  

  

  5 
  naked, 
  causing 
  shallow 
  rounded 
  galls 
  in 
  stem* 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  AmorpJiococcus. 
  

  

  Genus 
  Asterolecanium, 
  Targioni-Tozzetti. 
  

  

  Asterolecanium, 
  Targ., 
  Inter. 
  2nd 
  Mem. 
  Studi 
  Cocc. 
  Catalogue, 
  p. 
  41, 
  1869 
  ; 
  Sign., 
  

   Ann. 
  Soc. 
  Ent. 
  Fr. 
  (4) 
  x, 
  p. 
  276, 
  1870. 
  

  

  Planchonia, 
  Sign., 
  Ann. 
  Soc. 
  Ent. 
  Fr. 
  (4) 
  x, 
  p. 
  282, 
  1870. 
  

  

  Asterodiaspis, 
  Sign., 
  Bull. 
  Soc. 
  Ent. 
  Fr. 
  (5) 
  vi, 
  p. 
  ccix, 
  1876. 
  

  

  " 
  Female 
  insect 
  completely 
  enclosed 
  within 
  a 
  thin 
  but 
  compact 
  glassy 
  or 
  horny 
  test, 
  

   characterised 
  by 
  a 
  continuous 
  marginal 
  fringe 
  of 
  glassy 
  filaments. 
  The 
  test 
  may 
  be 
  

   hemispherical, 
  flat, 
  or 
  even 
  somewhat 
  concave 
  above. 
  It 
  varies 
  in 
  outline 
  from 
  

   circular 
  to 
  linear. 
  The 
  surface 
  is 
  usually 
  smooth, 
  with, 
  in 
  some 
  species, 
  erect 
  or 
  

   curling 
  filaments 
  on 
  the 
  disc, 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  marginal 
  series. 
  ... 
  At 
  the 
  

   posterior 
  extremity 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  opening 
  through 
  which 
  the 
  larvae 
  escape. 
  This 
  

   aperture 
  is 
  sometimes 
  placed 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  a 
  tubular 
  extension, 
  which 
  is 
  often 
  more 
  or 
  

   less 
  elevated. 
  The 
  colour 
  of 
  the 
  test 
  is 
  invariably 
  of 
  a 
  greenish 
  or 
  yellowish 
  tint, 
  

   but 
  the 
  fringe 
  and 
  dorsal 
  filaments 
  are 
  sometimes 
  tinged 
  with 
  red. 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  adult 
  female 
  insect, 
  denuded 
  of 
  its 
  covering, 
  is 
  at 
  first 
  approximately 
  of 
  the 
  

   same 
  form 
  as 
  its 
  covering. 
  After 
  oviposition 
  it 
  shrivels 
  up 
  and 
  lies 
  at 
  the 
  anterior 
  

   extremity 
  of 
  the 
  test, 
  the 
  remaining 
  cavity 
  being 
  packed 
  with 
  ova. 
  The 
  antennae 
  are 
  

   rudimentary, 
  consisting 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  short 
  joint 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  curved 
  hairs 
  at 
  its 
  extremity. 
  

   The 
  limbs 
  are 
  totally 
  absent. 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  No 
  stigmatic 
  spines. 
  Anal 
  lobes 
  absent 
  or 
  minute, 
  

   usually 
  represented 
  by 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  small 
  tubercles 
  and 
  each 
  bearing 
  a 
  stout 
  seta. 
  

   In 
  a 
  few 
  species, 
  both 
  tubercles 
  and 
  setae 
  are 
  wanting. 
  Between 
  the 
  setiferous 
  

   tubercles 
  are 
  usually 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  four 
  smaller 
  tubercles, 
  each 
  bearing 
  a 
  small 
  spine. 
  

   The 
  anal 
  ring 
  is 
  sunk 
  in 
  a 
  tubular 
  pit 
  which 
  sometimes 
  opens 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  extreme 
  margin, 
  

   but 
  usually 
  terminates 
  shortly 
  before 
  the 
  margin 
  on 
  the 
  dorsal 
  surface 
  ; 
  it 
  normally 
  

   carries 
  six 
  stout 
  hairs, 
  but 
  is 
  sometimes 
  hairless. 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  

  

  * 
  See 
  Bull. 
  Ent. 
  Kes. 
  ix, 
  p. 
  112. 
  

  

  