February, 1906.] 25 



the beautiful but very scarce Aplineope sericata, Pasc.) having a 

 striking superficial resemblance to the numerous ants found in their 

 company. A little later in the season, the large and very handsome 

 Frosted-green weevil, Ghrysoloplius spectahilis, Fab. — well meriting its 

 local name of the " Australian Diamond-beetle," abounds on the 

 s\\attle foliage, and even more plentifully in some places, the large 

 ough spiky dark-brown weevils of the genus Lepfops (L. fribulus, 

 ^'ab., L. hopei, Fahr., &c.) ; the first-named of these the Sydney boys 

 all "wattle-pigs." The conspicuous bright-red Rhinotia hcemoptera, 

 [irby, several species of BeJus, not unlike Lia^us in aspect, but usually 

 lore elongate in build, and a host of smaller forms 06 RhyncJiopJiora^ 

 requent the wattles, and a very singular little shining black weevil, 

 ^yrmacicelus formicarius, Chevr., rather like an exaggerated Apion, 

 lay be found commonly walking on their trunks, usually in company 

 ;^ith ants. Several brilliant little metallic-green " chafers " of the 

 onus DipJmefipJiala, and the Buprestidse Cisseis similis, Saund., 



leucosticfa, Kirby, O. cupripennis^ Chevr., Agrilus australasice, 



et G., and (at Ourimbah) the lovely little velvety-green Nascio 

 tultissima, Olliff, are more or less plentiful ; and among the Longi- 

 3rns are the large stout marbled-grey PentJiea vermicularia, Don., 

 le smaller grey species of Hehecerus, and the beautiful sage-green 

 ympliyletes nigrovirens, Don. The large silky-brown PacJiydisstts 

 iriceus, Newm., is sometimes found under the loose wattle-bark, but 



apparently not common near Sydney, though its larva is very 

 Bstructive to the trees in some parts of the colony. Numbers of 

 hytophaya of moderate or small size {CrypfocephaJus, Difropidtcs, 

 ^lapJwdes, Calomela^ Paropsis, &c.) and of Coccinellidce, including 

 >me rather fine forms of Rhizohius, and the celebrated Novius 

 irdinalis, Muls., are to be beaten off the wattles throughout the 

 immer* 



The various species of Eucalyptus, especially the young shoots or 

 whipstick gums " that spring up from the stumps of large trees 



en felled, produce a great variety of interesting Coleoptera by 

 J^ating or shaking into the umbrella, and of these perhaps the most 

 lijoticeable from their diurnal habits, and among the most abundant, 

 ote the species of the Rutelid genus Anoplognathus. Of these the 

 4rliest to appear is the beautiful but not very common A. veJictinus, 

 old?., a large light-brown species covered with irregular white pubes- 

 gufnee which gives the insect a curious mealy look. This is succeeded 



i|w 



1 • c. 

 ,n s. w 



Insects of the Wattle Trees," by W, W. Froggatt, F.L.S. Agricultural Gazette of 

 Wales, July, 1902, pp. 1-20. 



C 



