Lecaniince. 177 



Lecanium,* Burmeister. 



Adult female naked, or covered with inconspicuous laminae 

 of wax, or slightly dusted with powdery wax. Without 

 definite sac or test. Oviparous or ovoviviparous. The eggs 

 or young larvse covered by the body of the insect, no 

 external ovisac being formed. Form very variable ; contour 

 ranging from almost linear {acutissimuni) to circular {Jiemi- 

 sphericum) ; flat to hemispherical, or rarely almost globular. 

 Derm soft and shrivelling after death ; or hard and rigid, 

 forming a protective covering for the ova. Limbs usually fully 

 developed, but small and inconspicuous ; concealed beneath the 

 body of the insect. 



Antenna with from six to eight joints. When the smaller 

 number occurs, the third joint is always very long, and often bears 

 indications of incomplete subdivision into two or three false joints 

 in the form of pale spaces or scars extending partially across 

 the segment {pi. LXI. fig. 8). Sometimes these scars almost 

 encircle the joint, but never show any sharply defined boundary 

 line, such as is noticeable at the normal divisions. The terminal 

 joint bears from eight to twelve stout hairs, and one (or two) 

 similar hairs spring from a point near the distal extremity of each 



* The name Leca7iium has, until quite recently, been constantly referred to 

 Illiger, on the authority of Burmeister {Handbook of Entomology, vol. ii., p. 69, 

 1835). But the recent researches of Mrs. C. H. Fernald {Canadiajt Ento- 

 mologist, 1902, p. 177) have shown that this name was never formally published 

 by Illiger, but occurs either in some unpublished manuscript or existed only 

 on a label. It would appear, therefore, that Burmeister, as the first publisher 

 of the name, must be credited as the author of the genus. Apart from the 

 question of authority, there appears to be some doubt as to whether the name 

 Calypticus (of Costa) has not precedence of Lecaniu?n. (Vide Mrs. Fernald, 

 loc. cit., p. 178.) As the question of priority is still unsettled, and — as far as I 

 can see — likely to remain a matter of dispute for some considerable time, it 

 seems right that the better known and more generally accepted name 

 {Lecanium) should be given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to stand. 

 I should personally consider any unnecessary interference with such a long- 

 established name a grave misfortune. 



[Since the above was written, Mrs. Fernald's Catalogue of the Coccida of the 

 World has been published. In this work many radical alterations in the nomen- 

 clature of the Coccidse are propounded. Amongst other changes, Lecanium gives 

 place to the much earlier name Co<rf«j, Linn. See also Supplementary Note, p. 248.] 



