﻿114 
  CHAS. 
  K. 
  BEAIN. 
  

  

  scales 
  within 
  which 
  the 
  females 
  live 
  very 
  much 
  resemble 
  small 
  glass 
  beads, 
  or 
  the 
  drops 
  

   of 
  resin 
  which 
  the 
  plants 
  exude 
  and 
  for 
  which 
  they 
  have 
  no 
  doubt 
  often 
  been 
  mistaken. 
  

   They 
  are 
  thin 
  and 
  transparent 
  with 
  a 
  yellow 
  tinge 
  of 
  colour, 
  smooth 
  and 
  shining, 
  and 
  

   very 
  convex, 
  being 
  nearly 
  spherical. 
  Generally 
  the 
  yellow 
  colour 
  of 
  the 
  scale 
  is 
  not 
  

   noticeable 
  as 
  it 
  appears 
  either 
  brown 
  or 
  dark 
  green, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  different 
  stages 
  of 
  

   development 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  inside. 
  In 
  size 
  they 
  are 
  about 
  one-fourteenth 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  

   in 
  diameter 
  and 
  a 
  little 
  less 
  than 
  that 
  in 
  height. 
  

  

  " 
  If 
  these 
  female 
  scales 
  are 
  carefully 
  examined 
  with 
  a 
  magnifying 
  glass 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  

   noticed 
  that 
  the 
  floss 
  is 
  a 
  production 
  of 
  the 
  insect 
  and 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  secreted 
  through 
  the 
  

   scale 
  at 
  all 
  parts, 
  but 
  mostly 
  around 
  the 
  margin, 
  and 
  curls 
  up 
  in 
  various 
  directions, 
  

   so 
  that 
  in 
  fresh 
  specimens 
  the 
  scale 
  is 
  quite 
  hidden. 
  If 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  scales 
  is 
  open 
  at 
  

   about 
  this 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  mid- 
  January, 
  the 
  eggs, 
  small 
  pinkish 
  brown 
  particles, 
  will 
  

   be 
  found 
  inside. 
  Scales 
  which 
  contain 
  eggs 
  are 
  generally 
  parti-coloured, 
  one 
  half 
  

   being 
  yellow 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  brown 
  or 
  black. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  yellow 
  half 
  which 
  contains 
  the 
  

   eggs, 
  and 
  the 
  yellow 
  colour 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  scale, 
  whilst 
  the 
  darker 
  portion 
  is 
  the 
  dried 
  

   remains 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  showing 
  through 
  it." 
  

  

  Puparium 
  of 
  $ 
  about 
  equal 
  to 
  the 
  diameter 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  test 
  in 
  length, 
  slightly 
  less 
  

   than 
  half 
  as 
  wide, 
  flat, 
  with 
  a 
  slight 
  median 
  keel, 
  yellow 
  and 
  transparent, 
  like 
  an 
  empty 
  

   female 
  test. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  definite 
  operculum, 
  such 
  as 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  many 
  species, 
  but 
  the 
  

   extreme 
  hind 
  margin 
  is 
  split 
  to 
  allow 
  the 
  exit 
  of 
  the 
  $. 
  

  

  Adult 
  $, 
  cleared 
  and 
  mounted, 
  broad 
  pear-shaped, 
  1*5 
  mm. 
  long 
  and 
  1*2 
  mm. 
  broad. 
  

   Body 
  hyaline, 
  with 
  flgure-8 
  glands 
  very 
  large 
  and 
  uniformly 
  scattered 
  except 
  at 
  the 
  

   posterior 
  extremity, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  practically 
  absent. 
  The 
  caudal 
  extremity 
  (fig. 
  

   201) 
  is 
  deeply 
  excavate, 
  with 
  the 
  part 
  around 
  the 
  anal 
  opening 
  densely 
  chitinised. 
  

   The 
  caudal 
  setae 
  are 
  replaced 
  by 
  two 
  stout 
  spines, 
  and 
  the 
  spines 
  of 
  the 
  anal 
  ring 
  are 
  

   comparatively 
  very 
  long 
  and 
  stout. 
  

  

  Remarks. 
  This 
  insect 
  became 
  so 
  numerous 
  on 
  the 
  harpuisbosch 
  in 
  certain 
  parts 
  of 
  

   Cape 
  Colony 
  about 
  the 
  years 
  1898 
  and 
  1899 
  and 
  appeared 
  to 
  have 
  such 
  a 
  toxic 
  effect 
  

   upon 
  the 
  host-plant 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  suggested 
  that 
  the 
  insect 
  be 
  spread 
  as 
  widely 
  as 
  

   possible 
  in 
  an 
  endeavour 
  to 
  kill 
  off 
  the 
  bush, 
  which 
  rendered 
  large 
  tracts 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  

   around 
  Tarkastad 
  useless. 
  It 
  was 
  recorded 
  in 
  the 
  Agricultural 
  Journal 
  (I.e.) 
  that 
  the 
  

   bushes 
  grew 
  to 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  8 
  to 
  10 
  feet 
  and 
  that 
  no 
  grass 
  would 
  grow 
  under 
  them. 
  

  

  Habitat 
  : 
  On 
  harpuisbosch 
  (Euryops 
  tenuissimus, 
  Less.). 
  

  

  Collection 
  No. 
  : 
  20. 
  

  

  173. 
  Asterolecanium 
  stentae, 
  sp. 
  n. 
  (Plate 
  vii, 
  fig. 
  191 
  ; 
  Plate 
  viii, 
  fig. 
  199). 
  

  

  Test 
  of 
  adult 
  $ 
  about 
  3 
  mm. 
  long, 
  regularly 
  oval 
  and 
  very 
  convex, 
  with 
  the 
  extreme 
  

   posterior 
  extremity 
  slightly 
  upturned. 
  Colour 
  greenish 
  yellow 
  suffused 
  with 
  brown, 
  

   which 
  is 
  more 
  intense 
  at 
  the 
  margin. 
  Dorsal 
  surface 
  scantily 
  supplied 
  with 
  short 
  

   white 
  glassy 
  processes. 
  

  

  The 
  young 
  female 
  is 
  similar 
  in 
  form, 
  but 
  is 
  pale 
  translucent 
  green 
  with 
  a 
  white 
  

   marginal 
  fringe 
  and 
  with 
  numerous 
  glassy 
  filaments 
  on 
  the 
  dorsum. 
  The 
  median 
  line 
  

   is 
  not 
  pronounced, 
  but 
  bears 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  long 
  glassy 
  filaments 
  in 
  a 
  longitudinal 
  

   crest. 
  The 
  marginal 
  fringe 
  is 
  about 
  one-fourth 
  the 
  greatest 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  in 
  

   length 
  (fig. 
  191). 
  

  

  <J 
  puparium 
  not 
  observed. 
  

  

  