Tlie EntoJiiogeiious Fungi of Victoria. 165 



Systematic Description of Fungus. 



ISARIA OnCOPTER.E, McAlp. (U.S.). 



This fungus attacks the larvte of Oncoptei'a intricata, Walk. 

 About twenty specimens were found near Melbourne, between 

 August and October, inside the grassy tubes made l)y the larvie, 

 and in every case either on a level with the surface, or above it. 

 All the infected larv?e observed were nearly full grown and dead, 

 but in no instance were they found dead below the surface of the 

 ground, although many tubes were examined, the larvae being 

 always alive and apparently healthy when found below the 

 surface. The earliest stage at which the fungus was apparent 

 was when it had killed the grub and filled its body with a mass 

 of soft pithy mycelium of a pale yellowish colour, and covered the 

 outside with a layer of ochrey down, consisting of hyphse, and 

 having no spores visible. In a day or two, when the specimen 

 was kept in a moist atmosphere, little white processes burst 

 through the skin, irregularly all over the body, increasing rapidly 

 in length, and becoming purplish-pink, except at the apex whicli 

 remained white. These processes — the stromfe — have a tendency 

 to grow upwards, irrespective of the position of the dead larva. 

 As many as fourteen stromta grew from one specimen, but the 

 average number is less. No sjDores could be found while the pro- 

 cesses were at all purple in colour, but when full-grown, they tui'n 

 brown, and then spores are easily discernible at and near the apex. 



Isaria belongs to the group Hyphomycetes ; but the species, 

 parasitic on insects, ai'e mostly conidial conditions of species of 

 Cordyceps. 



Cordyceps belongs to the Pyrenomycetes, and is generally 

 regarded as including the conidial states, described under the 

 form-genus of Isaria ; but until the ascigerous stage is actually 

 found, we prefer not to class theni under that genus. 



Isaria Oncopter^, McAlp. (n.sp.). 



Growing from various parts of the body, dirty brown root 

 colour, averaging | to li inches high. 



Stem branched^ velvty, slender, tips of branches fertile. 

 Conidia spindle-shaped to oval, hyaline, 12 ^. x 6 /x. borne on tips 

 of hyphse at right angles to the stroma. 



On dead larvaj of Oncoptera intricaia. 



