IDENTITY OF THE MEALYBUG DESCRIBED AS DACTY- 
LOPIUS CALCEOLARIAE MASKELL 1 
By Harold Morrison 
Entomologist , Fruit Insect Investigations , Bureau of Entomology , United States 
Department of Agriculture 
INTRODUCTION 
The increasing importance of the elongate gray mealybug found in 
many parts of the world on sugar cane, both as a pest and as a subject 
for study as a possible carrier of the sugar-cane mosaic disease, has 
made it highly desirable to verify or correct the scientific name by 
which the species is recognized in technical literature. The specific 
name calceolariae, first applied to a mealybug more than 50 years 
ago, has in recent years been used very frequently in published 
references to this sugar-cane mealybug, although it has been recog¬ 
nized for some time that there was a legitimate question as to the 
correctness of the application. 
In the course of preliminary studies on the large Maskell collection 
of scale insects, very generously loaned to the United-States Bureau of 
Entomology by the New Zealand Department of Agriculture, a 
certain amount of material bearing on this subject was obtained, but 
nothing from which definite conclusions could be established. A 
recent appeal for additional specimens, made to J. G. Meyers, of the 
Biological Laboratory of the New Zealand Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, and transmitted by him to Gilbert Archey, of the Canterbury 
Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand, has resulted in the receipt 
from the latter of a few more specimens, some of which are mounted 
and accompanied by data indicating without question that they were 
before Maskell at the time he prepared his original description. 
From the material thus accumulated it has been possible, after 
extended and careful study, to work out the identity of the species 
represented, if not completely, at least to an extent sufficient to 
meet the practical needs of the situation. This discussion attempts 
to restrict properly the use of the name calceolariae , and to segregate 
and correctly designate the different species which have been known 
by this name. 2 
HISTORY OF MASKELL’S USE OF NAME 
The species was first described by Maskell in 1879 ( 9 f p. 218-219) * 
who then stated that “ this insect is effecting great destruction in the 
public gardens in Christchurch amongst the Calceolarias and upon 
several native plants such as Traversia, Cassina, etc.” In the 
original description the color is given as pink covered with white 
meal, and the shape is indicated as oval in the accompanying figure. 
The body is said to be very oily. 
i Received for publication October 25, 1924; issued October, 1925. 
8 The drawings illustrating the structural characteristics of the species described here have been prepared 
under the writer’s direction, those for boninsis by Emily Morrison, and the others by Leola J. Kruger. 
3 Reference is made by number (italic) to “ Literature cited,” p. 499. 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Washington, D. C. 
( 485 ) 
Vol. XXXI, No. 5 
Sept. 1, 1925 
Key No. K-153 
