6Y R. J. TILLYARD. 789 



The Egg. (Plate Ixxix., H-. 1 ; Text-fi^^l). 



The eggs are laid separately, or only two or three together, at 

 considerable intervals of time; probably, in the natural state, 

 upon the bark of Myrtaceous trees, especially Eucalypts. In 

 captivity, most of the eggs were laid upon cottonwool. Thev 

 are not stalked, and are laid upon one side, which is attached to 

 some object by a slight secretion of gelatinous matter. 



The egg itself is oval, about 1 mm. long by 04 5 mm. wide in 

 the middle, and is of a semi-opaque creamy 

 colour, tinged with pale green. At its anterior 

 end there is a distinct micropylar projection, 

 as shown in Text-fig. 1. The egg is quite 

 smooth, without any pattern or sculpture. 



The eggs are usually laid in January or Feb- 

 ruary. At the end of about twelve days, thev 

 hatch. The young larvae, hitherto curled up ^ ' ' 



inside, crawl straight out of the broken shell, and at once make 

 for some small crack or crevice in the bark, where they may 

 escape the numerous enemies that would otherwise speedily 

 compass their destruction. 



First Larval Instar. (Plate Ixxix., tigs. 2-8; Text-H^^2). 



The newly-hatched larva is somewhat more than three times 

 as long as the egg in which it was confined, the measurement 

 being taken from the tip of the mandible to the anal papilla. 

 As with all Planipennia, such a comparatively large larva can 

 only be contained within tiie egg by considerable folding of 

 parts; the head being tucked down below the breast, and the 

 posterior half of the abdomen being again folded forwards under 

 the head. 



At first, before the larva has taken any food, the head is very 

 large in comparison with the rest of the body. P)Ut, after one 

 or two large meals, the abdomen begins to be distended with 

 food, and the general appearance of the larva undergoes a great 

 alteration, as can be seen by compai-ing Plate Ixxix., tigs. 2 and 3. 

 This change takes place in every instar of all Neuropterous larvae 



* Two eggs of Psydiopais dtyans vGuer. ); ( x 2(J). 



