LecanhncB. 227 



LECANIUM OLEyE, Bernard. 

 (Plate LXXXIII.) 



Chermes olece, Bernard, Mem. d'Hist. Nat. Acad., 1782. 



Coccus olece, Olivier, Encycl. Method., 1791. 



Lecanium olece. Walker, List of Homopt. in Coll. British Museum, Part IV,, 

 1852. 



Adult ? {^figs. I, 2) densely chitinous ; dull purplish-brown, surface roughened 

 and minutely specked with small greyish or colourless waxy granules. In smal 

 examples these granules are close together ; in larger, well-fed specimens they 

 become more widely separate, owing to the expansion of the intermediate 

 tissues. Form highly convex ; usually distinctly angular, with prominent 

 median longitudinal and two transverse ridges ; a smaller longitudinal raised 

 line connects the transverse ridges on each side. In some examples the ridges 

 are almost obsolete, and the insect nearly hemispherical. Eyes inconspicuous. 

 Scales of anal operculum {fig. 4) pointed at extremity ; outer edge rounded ; base 

 straight or slightly concave ; outer edge twice length of base. Marginal hairs 

 {fig. 5) rather long ; extremity dilated and often deeply divided. Submarginal 

 tubercles six on each side. No stigmatic cleft. Stigmatic spines three {fig. 7), 

 prominent and sharply pointed, the median spine nearly four times the length 

 of the others. Antenna {fig. 6) with eight joints, of which the third is always the 

 longest ; relative length of other joints rather variable ; fourth equal to fifth, 

 sixth usually equal to seventh. In one example examined the antenna on one 

 side had seven joints only, while that on the opposite side was normal. Legs rather 

 slender ; tarsus about three-quarters length of tibia ; digitules of claw rather 

 long. Dermal cells {fig. 3) large, irregularly polygonal, with rounded angles ; 

 the margin of each cell distinctly marked on the surface. There is a deeper 

 seated reticulation which follows the interspaces between the cells, but this is 

 not always clearly defined. On the denser marginal area the cavities of the 

 cells are filled with a dark brown deposit, and — in very old scales — all the 

 cells may be similarly darkened. 



Early adult female and female of second stage dull pale brownish yellow. 



Male puparium not observed in Ceylon, but examples from Europe {fig. 8) 

 are oblong oval ; divided into nine plates ; glassy, colourless ; studded with 

 irregular waxy flakes, those on the median line more prominent and well 

 defined. A submarginal series of minute raised spots. Pupa green, with a 

 dark brown longitudinal stripe. 



Adult cj not observed in Ceylon. Figures of the insect in an American 

 publication show it to be of normal form. 



Habitat in Ceylon on Antides?na biaiius, Grewia orientalis, and Duranta 

 (Pundaluoya) ; on Thespesia popubiea (Jaffna) ; and on Cajanus indicus (Pera- 

 deniya). Though widely distributed, in point of numbers Lee. olece is distinctly 

 a scarce species in Ceylon. It is probably kept in check by parasites. It 

 occurs in nearly all countries of the world, and is a serious pest in parts of 

 Europe, the United States, and South Africa, where it attacks many kinds of 

 fruit-trees, particular olive and various species of citrus. 



