THE TRIANGULAE-MAEKED BANKSIA BEETLE. 137 



time tliey turn sickly and die off, and all along the coast 

 instances are but too frequent of the damage done by 

 these insects. It has often been a marvel to others as 

 well as to myself how it is that, although we find orchards 

 planted right in the depths of our most dense forests, the 

 fruit trees contained therein are so rarely attacked by 

 beetles of this large and important family, of which 

 family in Australia alone there cannot be less than 

 1,200 distinct species, in sizes varying from the tiny Vic- 

 torian species (^Allomicrus e^viguus) which has recently 

 been described by Mr. Gahan as a new insect, to the 

 gigantic Batocera Wallace^ which has been recorded by 

 myself as having been found in Australia, New Guinea 

 being formerly its only known habitat, the latter beautiful 

 species often attaining with antennae and legs stretched 

 out straight out from the body a length of 10 inches, 

 and we can easily imagine the vast amount of damage the 

 grubs of these large beetles are capable of doing. 



Prevention and Remedies. 



To treat trees for borers of this type the steam sprayer, 

 by which sulphur or other material, as carbolic acid, 

 could be forced into the holes in vaporized form and as 

 hot as possible, appears to be the best yet attempted, but 

 even this could not, without great trouble and expense, 

 be carried out in the case of large forest trees, but in fruit 

 trees or even on avenue trees it can be done when it 

 resolves itself simply into the question of cost. 



In America one of this family of beetles (Saperda 

 Candida) better known to orchardists as the "Round- 

 headed Apple Tree Borer" does an immense amount of 

 damage to apple trees, and with the exception of the 

 codlin moth is there considered to be the worst enemy of 

 the apple with which they have to deal. 



In searching the timber for specimens of this beetle it 

 is no uncommon occurrence to come across larvae and 

 pupse of a wasp-like insect ( Odynerus) in which have 



