OF I'SEl'DOCOCCIDAE & ERIOCOCCIDAE n 



The homologies and terminology of the various structures introduced by Theron 

 (1958), and later supplemented by Ghauri (1962) and Giliomee (1961, 1967) are here 

 adopted ; a few additional terms and abbreviations have also been employed. 



PSEUDOCOCCIDAE 



General Characteristics 



All the studied species were represented by ruacropterous males, and one species 

 (S. sacchari) was also represented by apterous specimens. Brachypterous forms 

 were reported by earlier authors (Pahnicola palmarum, described by Beardsley, 

 i960), but were not available for the present study. 



Pupation of the males (at least of the species obtained from pupae by the writer 

 in the laboratory) takes place inside fluffy puparia of waxy threads ; the adult 

 male emerges backing through the loosely felted posterior extremity of the 

 puparium. 



Appearance. The body, as in all other Coccoidea (Theron, 1958, and Ghauri, 

 1962), consists of the well defined head (with non-functional mouth parts), thorax 

 and abdomen. Usually the males are narrow and slender, although those of some 

 of the species studied are moderately robust (0. ajricanus) ; broadest at the thoracic 

 region and usually round throughout, but sometimes dorso-ventrally flattened 

 (S. sacchari). The head subtriangular in dorsal view with the genae bulging 

 posteriorly. The neck region is neither entirely absent as in Diaspididae (Ghauri, 

 1962), nor distinctly pronounced as in many Coccidae (Giliomee, 1967), but merely 

 indicated by a distinct constriction. The lrj^s arc well developed, usually long and 

 slender. The alate forms have the anterior pair of wings well developed, and the 

 posterior wings modified into hamulohalterae, each normally with one apically 

 hooked seta. The abdomen is largely membranous, becoming gradually narrower 

 posteriorly ; with eight well separated pregenital and the terminal genital segments. 



Size. The coccid males generally are very small insects and although the actual 

 size varies considerably, they are comparatively large in some families and small 

 in others. The males of Pseudococcidae occupy an intermediate position in that 

 respect, i.e. smaller than Margarodidae and some Coccidae, and larger than 

 Diaspididae, which are apparently the smallest of all. Among the species studied, 

 the smallest was N. nipae (840-980, average 896[x long), and the largest F. virgata 

 (1274-1596, av. 1386(1 long). 



Colour. Examination of the available living material of a few species indicates 

 that the colour of the males, although somewhat variable, is apparently character- 

 istic of each species. The basic colour is always brownish, light (P. citri), or dark 

 (T. newsteadi), or with yellowish or greenish tinge (M. hirsutus and D. alazon, 

 respectively) ; the eyes usually are also brown but sometimes dark red (D. alazon). 

 In alcohol-preserved material, the colour gradually fades away, becoming indefinable 

 and the differences disappear ; unfortunately most of the species studied were 

 alcohol-preserved. 



