204 



out Icj^s. but twLi kinds lia\e three pair of very minute legs, one 

 pair on each of the three segments of the body following the 

 head. The largest of these produces the beetle (Aci::;oso]iia rc- 

 flc.viiiii) here figured with its larva (Figs. 1 and 2). and it can 



Fig. 2 



not be niistakcn for any other Hawaiian insect. It is not at pres- 

 ent known from elsewhere, though very similar species are found 

 in other countries. This beetle is remarkable for the diversity of 

 its habits. The grub feeds sometimes in the wood of the hardest 

 forest trees, generally in dead trees, but sometimes in those that 

 are apparently healthly — e. g., in living trees of "Naio," the bas- 

 tard sandal. On the other hand, it breeds freely in old decayed 

 tree trunks or siualler logs, that are sometimes so rotten that 

 they can be pulled to pieces by the hands, and so wet that the 

 water can be squeezed from them as from a sponge. This species 

 is found throughout the forests of all the islands. In some locali- 

 ties, where forest land has been cleared for raising cane or coffee, 

 the beetle persists for some years. On Maui we once found 

 numbers in cane fields, where they lived beneath the soil, boring 

 through the stools and doing some damage. In ( )laa, when coffee 

 was being grown in that district, many trees were injured by 

 being cut through or perforated beneath the soil by these large 

 grubs. The latter and the beetle itself vary much in size, so that 

 some of the adults are not more than half the size of others. 

 The beetles are attracted by light at night and so are sometimes 

 captured as curiosities, but otherw^ise they are much less fre- 

 quently noticed than the larvae. 



The only other large borer grub, whicli possesses tlie minute 

 legs referred to, has very much the iiabits and appearance of the 

 preceding. It is very partial to dead or partly (lead Koa trees, 

 but is found in other trees — e. g., the Kopiko and Koolea, and 

 also in quite rotten logs that lie upon the ground. It is doubtful 

 whether it ever attacks the living parts of a])i)arcntly healthy 

 trees, as the preceding does. 1dic mature beetle is a large, dark 

 brown, flattish beetle, found beneath bark in the forest and at- 

 tracted by light at night. The male has very large, prominent 

 jaws, like those of some stag-beetles. Its name is I\ua)idni 

 pimciiccps, and it is peculiar to the ishuids. 



The borer l^cctles, whose work is most commonly noticed by 

 the non-entomologist both on cattle ranches and in forest clear- 

 ings, form a group (witli many species) which is (|uite peculiar 

 to the Mavvaiian forests. The mature beetles are o| exlraordiuarv 



