Habitat—On Santalum cunninghamii (Maire), Te Aute, Hawke's Bay; and on pear, plum, and other fruit-trees at Whangarei, having probably spread from native plants.
The carinated male puparium distinguishes this species from Aspidiotus. The absence of spinnerets is curious.
Genus: MYTILASPIS, Targioni-Tozzetti.
Female and male puparia similar, or nearly similar, in shape, but the male puparium is smaller. Puparia elongated, generally more or less mussel-shaped or pyriform, usually convex, more or less curved; pellicles at one end. Male puparia not carinated. Five groups of spinnerets in the female, but the groups are sometimes continuous.
13. Mytilaspis cordylinidis, Maskell.
N.Z. Trans., Vol. XI., 1878, p. 195.
([Plate V.], Fig. 1.)
Female puparium pure white, elongated, very narrow; usually straight, sometimes curved; pellicles yellow, at one end; length, about 1/8in.; breadth, about 1/30in.
Male puparium similar to that of the female, but much smaller; length, about 1/20in.
Adult female pale yellow in colour, elongated, distinctly segmented. Rudimentary antennæ on the cephalic segment. A few fine hairs at the edges of the segments. Abdomen ending in two lobes with a small median depression; several serrated scaly hairs, and a few spines. Five groups of spinnerets: uppermost groups, seven or eight orifices; upper lateral group, fourteen to twenty; lower lateral group, twenty to twenty-five. A great number of single spinnerets.