Coccidæ, or SHIELD-LICE

Of the sub order Phytophthires, order Rhynchota. The females are large and wingle , sit motionle with their rostrum piercing the bark of plants, and sucking their juices. The eggs (sometimes parthenogenetic) are protected by the dried-up bodies of the mother. The males are small, have large front wings, and sometimes small hind wings. They metamorphose by means of a quiescent pupa, in a cocoon. Cochineal is produced from the dried bodies of the Coccus cacti. Some Oriental species cause the trees to extrude lac and manna. Most species are injurious, especially in greenhouses.