626 C. B. HAEDBNBEKG. 



INTRODUCTION. 



During the past two years the writer has been engaged in 

 a study of the Wattle Bagworm, Acan the psyche junodi 

 (Heylaerts), fam. Psychidfe, and other insects injurious to 

 the Black Wattle, Acacia moUissima Wild., for the purpose 

 of finding means for their control and thus minimising their 

 injury to the wattle plantations. It was soon found that, 

 apart from the ordinary Wattle Bagworm, there were several 

 other species, not as common, to be sure, but deserving more 

 than passing notice as being potential wattle pests. A number 

 of these have already firmly established themselves on the 

 wattle as their principal, if not exclusive, food-plant, others 

 are just beginning to take to it, while still another group of 

 bagworms, although not counting the Avattle amongst their 

 usual food-plants, will readily eat it when it is offered to 

 them and will pass through their usual transformations on 

 this diet. When we consider that the Wattle Bagworm, 

 above mentioned, some ten or fifteen years ago was in this 

 same stage of transition from its native host-plants, the Thorn 

 bushes, consisting of various species of Acacia, to the cul- 

 tivated Black Wattle, and that it is at present considered by 

 the wattle growers as their worst pest, we have reason to fear 

 that within the near future these other bagworms will also 

 begin to frequent the Black Wattle to a greater extent than 

 now, and that this tree, from an occasional food-plant, may 

 become a preferred one. 



It is natural, therefore, that we should have taken a great 

 interest in all such species of bagworms which are to be found 

 either on the wattles themselves or on the otlier vegetation in 

 and around the wattle plantations. Some two dozen various 

 kinds of bagworms have been found thus far. Of these, six 

 have been noticed to subsist almost exclusively on the Black 

 Wattle, five others frequent the wattle occasionally, although 

 this is not their usual food-plant, while the others have thus 

 far not been taken on the wattle itself, and as yet confine 

 their depredations to the other vegetation in and around 



