SS MR. R. W. JACK ON THE LARV.i! 



Liirva. — Atr;un< a leiioth of G5-70 mm. Colour yellowish 

 white, to yellowish bro^vn (older specimens), the more 

 cliitiiioiis ])arts recUlish ])rown. GeDeral iorm somewhat 

 flattened dorso-Yoiitrally and conspicuously segmented. The 

 mandibles project beyond the labrum. Anterior pair o£ 

 legs strongly tossorial. Anterior tarsi flat, broad and bifid 

 owing to a strong projection on the outer margin (see 

 Plate YI.). Spines on inner margin of legs : — 



Tarsal claw none. 



Tibia . , 1, short and blimt. 



Femur aud trochanter, .numerous, short and Hat, often much fused 

 together. 



Dorsal surface of anal segment convex in profile w'ith a 

 very slightly raised ridge on the posterior and latero- 

 posterior margin, bearing very small chitinous processes ; 

 minute chitinous projections scattered over dorsal surface of 

 segment : seguient hairy : [)seudopodia prominent and 

 aruu'il with spines ; a roduded projection anterior to pseudo- 

 podium on each !?ide also bears a number of s})ines. 



{h) P. similis (Plate Vi. fig. 8). 



Ovum. — Dimensions 2 2 mm. by 1 mm. ; similar to P. 

 scrobicollis. 



Larva. — Greatest length recorded 45 mm. In general 

 characteristics similar to scrobicollis, but may be readily 

 distinguished by the proj)ortionately very much smaller pro- 

 jection on the outer margin of the anterior tarsi (see Plate VI. 

 fig. 8). 



Note. Larva? have also been obtained from two other 

 species, namely, P. pierreti, Fhs., and P. bate si, Haag^ 

 but they failed to attain much growth. The form of the 

 anterior tarsi in both these species approxinnites closely to 

 that of P. scrobicollis of a similar aoe. 



Psammoch's larva3 are active grubs, strongly cannibalistic 

 in confinement. They I'eed freely on the underground 

 portions of plants and constitute a bad pest of tobacco, 

 killing the plants by eating into the underground stems. 

 They are very fond of potato tubers and have lived for two 

 vears in confinement on this diet. 



