﻿193 
  

  

  A 
  NOTE 
  ON 
  PSEUDAONIDIA 
  FOSSOR, 
  NEWST. 
  

   By 
  A. 
  Rutherford, 
  

   Government 
  Entomologist, 
  Ceylon, 
  

  

  In 
  January 
  1912, 
  the 
  writer 
  collected 
  in 
  Trinidad, 
  B.W.I. 
  . 
  what 
  is 
  in 
  all 
  probability 
  

   Psetdaonidia 
  fossor, 
  Newst. 
  (Bull. 
  Ent. 
  Research, 
  iv, 
  p. 
  308, 
  1914). 
  The 
  insects 
  

   occurred 
  on 
  the 
  twigs 
  of 
  a 
  plant 
  that 
  has 
  been 
  determined 
  as 
  Ficus 
  comosa. 
  The 
  

   leaves 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  plant 
  were 
  heavily 
  infested 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  surface 
  by 
  what 
  is 
  

   probably 
  Aspidiotus 
  personatus, 
  Comst. 
  

  

  My 
  specimens 
  of 
  P. 
  fossor 
  show 
  some 
  differences 
  from 
  Newstead's 
  material, 
  the 
  

   most 
  important 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  that 
  in 
  this 
  case 
  the 
  adult 
  insect 
  is 
  not 
  fossorial. 
  The 
  

   scales 
  stand 
  up 
  in 
  small 
  groups 
  on 
  the 
  twigs. 
  Otherwise 
  Newstead's 
  description 
  

   applies 
  quite 
  closely 
  to 
  my 
  insect. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  specimens 
  before 
  me 
  there 
  are 
  from 
  five 
  to 
  seven 
  gland-pores 
  connected 
  

   with 
  the 
  anterior 
  spiracles, 
  while 
  similar 
  pores 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  absent 
  from 
  the 
  posterior 
  

   spiracles. 
  The 
  pygidia 
  agree 
  closely. 
  The 
  paraphyses, 
  however, 
  are 
  much 
  more 
  

   distinct 
  than 
  they 
  are 
  represented 
  in 
  Newstead's 
  figure, 
  and 
  between 
  the 
  second 
  and 
  

   third 
  lobes 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  conspicuous 
  broad 
  plate 
  laterad 
  of 
  the 
  setae, 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  one 
  

   or 
  two 
  similar 
  plates 
  laterad 
  of 
  the 
  median 
  lobes. 
  These 
  plates 
  are 
  very 
  easily 
  broken 
  

   off. 
  The 
  median 
  lobes 
  project 
  on 
  their 
  mesal 
  side 
  into 
  the 
  pygidium 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  

   distance. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  additional 
  notes 
  may 
  be 
  of 
  interest 
  : 
  The 
  anal 
  orifice 
  is 
  narrow 
  and 
  is 
  

   surrounded 
  by 
  an 
  area 
  more 
  heavily 
  chitinised 
  than 
  is 
  the 
  pygidium 
  as 
  a 
  whole. 
  The 
  

   unborn 
  young 
  possess 
  a 
  distinct 
  pair 
  of 
  lobes, 
  each 
  bearing 
  a 
  resemblance 
  to 
  an 
  

   extended 
  hand. 
  There 
  are 
  two 
  deep 
  notches 
  on 
  the 
  mesal 
  and 
  three 
  on 
  the 
  lateral 
  

   obhquity 
  near 
  the 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  lobe. 
  The 
  pygidium 
  is 
  distinctly 
  reticulated 
  and 
  a 
  

   distinct 
  chitinous 
  ring 
  surrounds 
  the 
  anus, 
  which 
  is 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen. 
  

  

  The 
  young 
  individuals 
  are 
  certainly 
  fossorial, 
  the 
  scale 
  being 
  covered 
  by 
  a 
  thin 
  

   layer 
  of 
  bark. 
  The 
  scale 
  of 
  the 
  adult 
  insect, 
  however, 
  is 
  not 
  conspicuous, 
  and 
  bears 
  

   no 
  resemblance 
  in 
  this 
  respect 
  to 
  Howardia 
  biclavis, 
  Comst., 
  with 
  which 
  Newstead 
  

   compares 
  his 
  specimens. 
  His 
  material 
  was 
  from 
  a 
  different 
  plant 
  (grape 
  vine), 
  and 
  

   perhaps 
  this 
  accomits 
  for 
  the 
  difference 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  have 
  never 
  seen 
  Howardia 
  biclavit 
  

   thus 
  influenced 
  by 
  its 
  host 
  plant. 
  

  

  (C53) 
  

  

  