THE DIPTERA. 47 



almost incapacitates her for aerial locomotion ; in other 

 respects she resembles the male, which is the sex figured 

 (Fig. 5). 



Family TIPULID.E. 



Tipula Jwlochlora (Plate V., fig. 1, la larva, ib pupa). 



This beautiful insect is very common in the forest through- 

 out New Zealand. Its larva (Fig. ia) inhabits various 

 kinds of decaying wood, frequently occurring in vegetable 

 refuse at the roots of trees. It is a large, sluggish-looking 

 grub, and the anterior segments are very retractile. Its 

 colour appears to vary according to its surroundings, 

 those specimens found in red pine being of the dull reddish 

 hue characteristic of that wood, while those taken from 

 pukatea and henau are dark brown larvae, resembling the 

 illustration. These insects are very voracious, but their 

 growth is gradual, each larva probably occupying at least 

 six months to reach maturity. They mostly feed during 

 the winter, but may be often taken at other times. The pupa 

 (Fig. ib) is enclosed in a small oval cell, previously exca- 

 vated by the larva, which also constructs a ready means of 

 escape for the future insect in the form of a small tunnel 

 leading out of one end of its prison to the open air. 

 Through this the pupa wriggles, assisted by the spines, 

 which arm the edges of all the segments ; the coronet of 

 hooks at its extremity retaining the insect firmly at the 

 mouth of its burrow while undergoing its final transforma- 

 tion. After numerous twistings and contortions on the 

 part of the pupa, a rent is formed in the thoracic plates, 

 and the imago draws itself out, standing on the log until 

 its wings are sufficiently hardened for flight. In many old 

 houses numbers of these exuviae may be seen projecting 

 from holes in the boards — a relic of the destruction that 

 has taken place within. These insects naturally inhabit 

 dead trees, but as they will devour unsound timber in any 



