100 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



brother's possession. "Fungoid parasites of some form or other are 

 now known to attack almost every order of insects, and, with this in 

 mind, it would seem a strange and unaccountable fact that, as far as is 

 known, diurnal lepidoptera have hitherto been unrecorded, as being the 

 basis of fungoid parasites of any sort. There appears to be no doubt 

 that the specimen in question is anything other than the fungus Torruhia 

 robertsii, grown out of the larva of Hepiolus virescens. The perfect 

 insect, which, I believe is indigenous to New Zealand, is of a satiny buff 

 colour with green irregular lines distributed over the surface of the 

 upper wings. There is another species, H. mhroviridans^ of a larger 

 size and with the underwings of a pale rusty colour, the larvK of which 

 may become the bases of this parasite. These larvse are usually found 

 in certain districts during the spring, beneath the "Rata" (in reality a 

 species of myrtle, but commonly called a vine) and tree ferns growing 

 in a light, porous and peaty soil, under which the caterpillar burrows 

 perpendicularly in search of its food (which consists of the young 

 fibrous roots), and afterwards forms horizontal chambers in passing from 

 one root to the other. It does not pass any portion of its life on trees, 

 as is supposed by some writers, but the insect remains in the earth 

 during the larval and pupal stages. Probably the parasite becomes 

 connected with the caterpillar by means of the seed being taken with 

 the food and thus passing into the interior of the insert, which had 

 previously become sickly and weakened by the rains which fall in great 

 quantities, saturating the ground around it. It is only after such 

 atmospheric influences that the germination of the plant predominates 

 over the growth of the insect, which is found of various ages in various 

 stages of growth. Its interior becomes completely filled by the inner 

 plant or thallus, after which, the outer plant or fungus, passing to 

 maturity, forces a way out through the tissue of the joint between the 

 head and the first segment of the thorax. The fungus grows to various 

 lengths, in some examples to ten or more inches. This depends on the 

 depth to which the caterpillar may be buried at the commencement of 

 the outer growth of the fungus. It is stated that it " settles itself head 

 upwards to undergo its change when the vegetable develops itself," but 

 the caterpillars are subject to the full development of the i^arasiteat 

 various periods of their growth, certainly some, from their size, are 

 attacked long before they are sufficiently matured to place themselves in 

 that position. The base of the plant invariably rises perpendicularly 

 from its origin, before it is bent, as if the larva had become stationary in 

 a horizontal position (or nearly so) in consequence of its being affected 

 by the internal thallus, and the plant had then naturally made its way 

 directly upwards to the surface of the soil, which it would eventually 

 surmount by two or three inches, which portion becomes granulated 

 when matured. It has been affirmed that the fungus, after appearing 

 above the earth, has been gradually drawn through the loose soil with 

 the caterpillar attached, when the latter has been found in a living state. 

 The stem is not strong, but if broken a new stem arises from or near the 

 same place, a fact which the Medical Ti/nes, forty-six years ago, said 

 "is not known to occur in any other ])lant with which we are as yet 

 acquainted in the vegetable kingdom." In the same year the same jiaper 

 says : — "The parasite is never known to germinate except in connection 

 with the body of one of these caterpillars" {H. virescens?). If such be 



