Contribution to the study of mealy bugs of the Tribe Pseudococcini (Coccidae) with special reference to the genus Pseudococcus

Abstract

Mealy-bugs may, under certain conditions, become pests of the highest economic importance. This, fact was well illustrated in the case of D. filamentosus (Ckll.) in
1909, when this insect attacked the Lebbek trees in the streets of Cairo and became so numerous that
large trees were killed by their ravages in a few months.
In addition to the actual loss of plants, or the damage caused to them by large numbers of the insects sucking their sap, the fruit or fruit clusters are often rendered quite unfit for market by the vast number of females with ovisacs which infest them.
Very few Coccidologists, however, have paid particular attention to this group, and our knowledge of even the most common species is very imperfect.
The only reference to many of the mealy bugs is found in the original descriptions of the species, and it is unfortunate that many of these descriptions are quite inadequate for the determination of material. This inadequacy may be due to the shortness and incompleteness of the descriptions themselves, or to the unsuitability of the characters used.
I have endeavoured to collect the most important facts concerning all the species described to the end of 1913, and to arrange the matter in a manner suitable for further study[...]