553 



Note on some Insects sent from Queensland 

 BY Mr. C. J. Pound, F.KM.S. 



By E. T. Lewis, F.R.M.S. 



{Read June IdfJi, 1903.) 



At the meeting of the Quekett Club in May, three bottles con- 

 taining insects in spirit were handed to me by Mr. Rousselet, 

 with a request that I would examine the contents and report if 

 they contained anything of interest to the Club, as they had been 

 sent from Queensland by Mr. C. J. Pound. 



The smallest bottle contained two crab spiders and a silken 

 ovisac containing a number of eggs, which from their condition 

 appeared to have been recently laid when transferred to the 

 spirit, as they contained no sign of embryo, and neither they nor 

 the spiders appeared to be of microscopic interest. 



The second bottle was labelled, " Insects found on dried cow's- 

 hide," and contained about a dozen larvae in various stages of 

 growth, all of the same species and obviously those of some kind 

 of beetle. The structure of their mandibles indicated that these 

 were likely to be very effective upon dry animal tissues, and the 

 resemblance to the mouth organs of the larvae of a small beetle 

 which I found some time ago actively engaged in destroying 

 a leather hand-bag was at once remarked. It does not seem 

 possible to identify the species in question from an examina- 

 tion of the larvae, but I have mounted a specimen for the 

 collection of the Club, which may some day be of use for 

 purpose of comparison. 



The third bottle was much larger, and contained a number 

 of lepidopterous larvae in various stages, some lepidopterous 

 pupae of four different species, and a very perfect specimen 

 of a common Australian species of Phasmidae, apparently a 

 Podacanthus ; but as this measures about three inches in the 

 body, it can hardly be regarded as microscopic. Its original 

 colour has no doubt been discharged by the spirit, and its 

 complete saturation rendered it rather difficult to set in a very 

 satisfactory manner. Of the pupae in this bottle, the most 

 interesting were some which w^ere suspended by the posterior 

 extremity from the under-sides of some leaves, a noticeable 

 feature being a row of brilliant spots of golden metallic lustre 



