60 destructivp: insects of victoria: 



The larvae is of a dirty whitish-brown colour, lightly 

 covered with hairs, which we were unable to reproduce 

 in the plate, and is about the size of those shown in 

 cutting of vine, the one (see Fig. VI.) being magnified 

 for the purpose of showing the mouth organs and 

 segments of the body. 



The pupa is of a very pale-brown colour, often nearly 

 white (see Fig. VIL, left-hand side), and, as will be 

 noticed on the plate, partly assumes the form of the 

 perfect insect. 



Fig. I. illustrates the manner in which the grubs enter 

 the vines, which seems always, or nearly always, to be 

 below a joint in the wood. (We have not gone more fully 

 into a description of the insect, as the plate shows this.) 



In its native state this beetle feeds in the wattles, often 

 on dead and dying wood, although it has frequently been 

 cut out of Avood which was perfectly green and healthy. 

 Mr. Froggatt, however, has found that in Xew South 

 Wales it prefers the timber when either dead or dying, 

 and has fully described its habits and life history in the 

 proceedings of the Linneau Society of New South Wales, 

 1894, Vol. IX., from specimens bred from the branches 

 collected near Carlinii'ford, New South Wales. According 

 to Mr. Froggatt, who has had many opportunities of 

 observing the habits of this pest, the beetles emerge early 

 in summer and deposit their eggs upon the vines and 

 orchard trees. After escaping from the egg the little 

 grub eats its way down the cane or cutting, guawdng out 

 the pith, as shown in Fig. II., and pupating at the end of 

 its burrow, the perfect beetle emerging (in New South 

 Wales) late in October. 



Prevention and Remedies. 



Here we have another of the but too numerous ex- 

 amples of an insect having forsaken its natural food for 

 orchard and vineyard work. We have to deal with a 

 pest which cannot be reached by poison or by contact, 

 the larvae being snugly ensconced in the wood of the tree 



