Jan. 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 57 



Life History of Lejytojis hopei. 

 The full-fed larva varies iu colour from dull white to pale yellow, resting 

 in its clay cell in the usual half-curled state so common in most weevil larvse. 

 The head is smooth and rounded, with the mouth parts reddish-yellow and 

 the tips of the jaws black. The dorsal surface of the prothorax is smooth 

 and pale yellow like the head, the rest of the thoracic and abdominal 

 Segments very soft and deeply wrinkled, and the terminal segment rounded 

 and lobed. At this stage, when removed from its earthen cell, it is so soft 

 and delicate to handle without damage that one wonders how it can work 

 its way through the stiff clay in which it is resting. Its length is f of an 

 inch. 



Apple Boots destroyed by Lep'.ops hopii. 



Full-fed larvse were kept under observation in damp earth tor six weeks 

 without undergoing any transformation, but all of them finally died without 

 pupating. On 5th November, however, Inspector Gallard dug up a pupa 

 under the roots of the apple tree, whicli enabled our artisi to figure it. From 

 the irregular development of the larvae and pupae it is probable that there is a 

 second brood of beetles emerging toward the end of the summer as well 

 as main broods in September and October. 



French has described the peculiar habit of the beetle depositing her eggs 

 upon an apple leaf and gumming the other side over it, and states that the 

 young larvse crawl down the trunk and make their way through the soil 

 to the lower roots upon which thev feed. 



It was some time before we could verify these observations, though a close 

 watch was kept upon the infested tree, where the beetles were found to be 

 collecting together on the tips of its topmost branches and feeding on the 

 foliage. On 3rd November, Mr. t^^allard found several of the tree's 



