10 Feb., 1919.] The Pasdon Vine Beetle. 117 



THE PASSION VINE LONGICORN BEETLE. 



{Monohammus fistulator.) 



C. French, jun.. Gorernment Entomologist. 



The Passion Vine Longiconi Beetle {Monohammus fistulator) is 

 fairly common in many part-s of Victoria, including Gippsland, 

 Emerald, Dandenong Ranges, Warburton, and Wandin districts. It is 

 usually found feeding on the Dogwood or Common-Cotton-Wood 

 (Cassinia aculeata) and the Shrubby Everlasting (Helichrysum 

 ferrugineum) during the summer months. As far as I can say, this 

 insect has not been known to breed in any trees in Victoria, but the 

 probability is that it breeds in either of the two above-mentioned trees. 



There is always a danger of this insect, like many other of our 

 insects, turning its attention to cultivated plants, such as passion fruit 

 vines, owing to its native food plants having been destroyed. 



The following particulars of the larva and the pupa as well as the 

 g'eneral description of the beetle are taken from an article by Mr. W. 

 W. Froggatt, F.L.S., G-ovemmont Entomologist of ISTew South Wales, 

 Avhich appeared in the Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales for 

 January last: — 



Description of Larva. 



The larva is shining dull white in colour, with the head dark 

 chocolate brown, furnished with stout black jaws. Length, 

 1^ inches. The first tJioracic segment is large, flattened on the 

 dorsal surface, marked on the sides with light brown, the central 

 portion finely granulated with minute reddish dots; the second and 

 third thoracic, and the following abdominal segments, except the 

 eighth and ninth, deeply constricted, and each bearing an elongate 

 oval patch of raised warts, forming four rounded ridges on the 

 upper surface, with a corresponding patch on the under side, 

 which is formed of two lines swelling into a rounded lobe at the 

 extremities; the last two (eighth and ninth) segments rounded with- 

 out any markings. Some larvse, evidently in a much later stage, 

 which did ipupate, and were either undeveloped or in an unhealthy 

 condition, were much darker coloured and more flattened and 

 flanged along the sides than the typical form. 



Description of Pupa, 



The pupa is dull white, flattened and broad across the centre; 

 the head small, turned down in front, with scattered reddish hairs 

 on the face; the antennae thickened and turned downward. The 

 dorsal surface of the thoracic segments are flattened; the first two 

 small, clothed with , a double patch of stiff reddish hrown hairs. 

 The first six abdominal segments are ornamented with similar 

 patches of hairs; on ';he seventh the hairs form a narrow transverse 

 band; the anal segm' ut slightly cleft at the tip. 



General Description of Beetle. 



The beetle has a gro\indwork of pitchy brown colour, but the 

 whole insect is so thicklj^ covered with a yellowish grey pubescence 



