THE TRIANGULAR-MARKED BANKSIA BEETLE. 135 



CHAPTER LXIL 



THE TRIANGULAR-MARKED BANKSIA BEETLE. 



i^Uracanthus triangularis^ Hope.^ 



Order : Coleoptera. Family : Ceramhijcidiv. 



This very handsome longicom beetle is one of twelve 

 other species which has been described as being 

 indigenous to Australia, it having been found in New 

 South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, and in Victoria, and 

 probably occurs also in South and in West Australia. 

 The eggs of tliis insect are deposited by the female in the 

 smaller branches of the trees on which the larvae feed, 

 our present figure being drawn from a portion of Banksia 

 branch found at Cheltenham, on the shores of Port 

 Phillip Bay. When the young grubs emerge from the 

 €ggs they are of course very small, but very soon com- 

 mence to eat into the wood of the tree, which they bore 

 and tunnel in a most surprising manner. When full 

 grown they are the size of that shown on Fig. I. of our 

 plate, the tree being the so-called "Coast Honeysuckle" 

 {Banksia integiifolia) which line the coast in man}^ parts 

 of Victoria. As the larva increases in size, the more 

 rapidly it works, and w^hen full fed assumes the pupa 

 stage which, as shown in our figure, is a singular mummy- 

 like form, and which in course of time develops into the 

 perfect insect. One singular habit which many beetles 

 of this family possess is that of cutting to the shape of a 

 stock about to receive a scion (see Fig. II. ) off the toi3 

 of the small branches, and as there is usually a small 

 portion of sawdust-like matter slightly protruding from 

 the upper portion of the V-shaped cut this renders the 



