188 Be Memoirs of the Indian Museum. VOL AV 
on cabbages or on turnips. It is never so bad as reported from other countries, and 
hardly deserves the name of ‘‘ Mustard Aphis” in India, where it is replaced almost 
entirely by a much worse Aphid, described below as Siphocoryne indobrassicae, sp. nov. 
The difference between the “ European Brassica louse’’ and “Indian Brassica louse”’ 
is that the latter is never so mealy, and has a pattern of hyaline non-pruinose spots 
instead of deep black ones; the cornicles in the latter again are much larger; the 
sensoria on the antennae of the alate female are present on both joints III and IV and 
never so numerous as in the former. Moreover, the black bands on the abdomen of 
the Western insect are quite absent here. For other differences see the descriptions 
and figures. | 
The systematic position is of interest. Traditionally from Linnaeus downwards 
all the writers have given it a prominent place among the species of the genus Aphis. 
This genus, as at present defined and comprising species such as A. gossypir, A 
malvae, A.nerii, etc., cannot, through any stretch of definition, be made to include a 
form like this species. The.shape, structure of antennae, cornicles and cauda, taken 
in conjunction with the relative lengths of the two ieee, are widely different from 
typical species of Aphis (Mordwilko and van der Goot). 
Van der Goot, to my knowledge, was the first to remove the species from the 
genus Aphis and transfer it to Siphocoryne, Pass., with which indeed it has a much 
greater affinity than with Apis (Zur Systematik der Aphiden, p. 93, 1913). But even 
he had pointed out, at the time, that the species was somewhat aberrant. In fact it 
deviates considerably from the types of that genus, in several essential characters. 
The cornicles, for instance, though clavate, are smaller than the cauda; the reverse is 
true for Siphocoryne. The case is similar with some other features mentioned above. 
In view of this I have tentatively suggested, in consultation with Mr. van der Goot, 
to place this old Linnean species under a separate genus, Brevicoryne, along with two — 
more similar plant-lice on Chenopodium and Coriander. 
Siphocoryne indobrassicae, sp. nov.! 
(THE INDIAN MUSTARD APHID). 
Vern.—Sarson ka tela. 
This aphid is more or less a serious pest of all the Brassica crops and particularly 
of mustard and rape, on which in certain seasons, as in 1913, it becomes uncommonly 
bad. Almost all the flowering shoots are thickly covered with plant-lice, and the 
! [This species, called by Mr. Das Siphocoryne indobrassicae, is apparently identical with Aphis 
pseudobrassicae, Davis, of which a very accurate description has been published by Mr. J. J. Davis 
(Canad. Entomologist, vol. 46, 1914, p. 231); the descriptions of the apterous and alate female, as fur- 
nished by Mr. Das, have therefore been omitted here. 
The same species is known to occur in Java; in the U.S. of America it is recorded from the States 
of New Vork, Indiana and Texas. An American specimen, received through the courtesy of Mr. J. J. 
Davis, agrees with the descriptions of Mr. Das and myself. Of course the species distinctly belongs to 
the genus Siphocoryne (Pass.) v. d. G. P. v. d. G.]. 3 
