BY WALTER W. FROGGATT. 331 



The life-history of this beetle is of importance, as the insect is 

 a well-known orchard pest. The species was described by Mr. 

 A. Sidney Olliff from specimens received from Mr. C. French; 

 they had attacked the apples near Melbourne, and by puncturing 

 them caused them to shrivel up before they were ripe. 



Mr. French has given an account of this pest and its ravages, 

 with a plate containing figures of it in all stages, in his Hand- 

 book of the Destructive Insects of Victoria"^ under the name 

 of Doticus pestilens, the apple beetle. 



Ha h . — ITeathcote. 



M.ECHIDIUS RUGOSUS. 



The description of the larva of the previous species will serve 

 also for this, except that it is slightly larger when full grown. 

 The larvae live in the thick bark of Eucalyptus rohusta, where they 

 pupate; the beetle comes out in September and October, and will 

 be found in crevices, or under loose bark on the trunks of the 

 trees. 



This beetle is slightly larger than M. tibialis, having the same 

 uniform coloration; the flanges in front of the head more angular, 

 with the edges curved upward, and the back of the head and 

 thorax very finely and closely punctured, so that the outer edges 

 have a fine serrate appearance; the elytra covered with fine close 

 deeply punctured parallel striae; the whole of the dorsal surface 

 covered w^ith very minute scale-like hairs scattered over the head 

 and thorax; on the elytra forming regular lines along the ridges 

 of the parallel striae. 



/y«6.— Botany, N.S.W. 



M^CHiDius TIBIALIS, Blackbum. 



Larva dirt}^ white, rather lo'ng " and slender, the head pale 

 yellow, with short ochreous-yellow labrum, and stout short jaws 

 of the same colour; thoracic segment more constricted than the 

 first abdominal segments; legs short, covered with short golden 



* Part I. Chap. xiii. p. S3. 



