758 
RHYNCHOTA. 
The life-history of one species is fully described (Mem. Agric. Dept., India, 
Entom. II, 7), and all Indian species probably have a similar one. The 
young of both sexes appear during the cold weather and climb up bushes 
to feed. They moult as usual and the male in March, after the penulti¬ 
mate moult, struggles away into a corner and secretes a cloudy cocoon 
round itself; the legs and wings pads then appear and it becomes a 
pupa. The male emerges in early April and for a time is one of the 
abundant insects flying freely. (Plate LXXXIV.) The females are 
by this time entering the last instar and are fertilised now. They feed 
chiefly on the ends of branches of trees or on the stalks of such fruits as 
mango and jack. They grow to a very large size, flat active bugs clothed 
uniformly in mealy white wax. When full-grown they descend the 
tree and, when this is occurring, they are a very noticeable sight. In 
a week all have gone ; actually each creeps away into hiding and 
lays eggs ; the eggs lie there till November and then hatch. The 
curious life-history, the large size and, above all, their really extra¬ 
ordinary disappearance make this a very notable insect. 
Icerya cegyptiaca, Dough, is common on croton (Plate LXXXII) and 
the life-history of I. minor, Gr., is fully described (loc. cit.). Newstead 
has described 7. formicarium from ants’ nests. Walkeriana cinerea, 
Gr., is a large solid insect found upon babul (Acacia arabica) and mendhi 
(Lawsonia alba). The young are provided with very long hairs and float 
in the breeze like thistle-down. Of the Asterolecaniince, Asterolecanium 
includes A. miliaris, Boisd., var robusta, Gr., found in immense profusion 
on bamboo in Behar ; the little pear-shaped scales are not easily seen, 
fixed tightly to the bamboo and not differing from it in colour. 
Cerococcus hibisci , Green, is a beautiful scale found upon cotton, 
hibiscus, etc. It is widespread in India ; Chalcid parasites keep it 
in check. The Eriococcince include only two species found in the hills. 
The Dactylopiince are the “ mealy bugs ” proper, the genera Dacty- 
lopms and Phenacoccus containing our common species. There is a defi¬ 
nite setiferous ring and the abdomen is not cleft behind. The life-history 
of D. saccJiarifolii is described fully (loc. cit.): D. citri, Risso. (Plate 
LXXXII), is world wide, and is in Coorg injurious to the roots of 
young coffee plants. D. nipce, Mask., is known on stored potatoes and 
on cotton, hibiscus, etc. D . sacchari, Ckll., lives on cane below the 
sheathing leaves. D. virgatus, Ckll., is common on Acalypha, violet 
