The Cane Grubs of Australia. 19 



The Pupa. 



A recently formed pupa was taken from a breeding cage, September 

 24th. 



The Adult. 



In the 1914-5 season, beetles were not numerous; a few were seen 

 flying in the forest during the end of December and in January; on 

 January 30th a number were observed on flowers of Tristania. In the 

 1915-6 season, the first adult was noticed on December 3rd, and on the 

 8th large numbers were on the wing. 



ANOMALA AUSTRALASIAE Blackburn. 



The Larva. 



Stage I. larvffi have been obtained on December 29th; Stage II. on 

 January 30th, March 2nd, 5th, 18th, April 16th; Stage III. throughout 

 the year. Collecting in the past sixteen months at Gordonvale has 

 resulted as follows: — September 5, October 4, November 1, December 3, 

 January 6, February 0, March 117, April 3, ]May 4, June 11, August 0, 

 September 2, October 0, November 2, December 0, larvie ; of the March 

 larv^ 98 came from two fields. As regards soil, of this number 137 were 

 from red volcanic, 14 from clay and dark loams, and 7 from alluvial 

 sandy loam. Stage III. larvae found on January 30th had recently 

 moulted from Stage II. Stage III. larva^ are parasitized to a considerable 

 extent, the parasite causing the host to delay its pupating for as long as 

 several weeks, and thus full-grown larvie can be found some time after 

 the majority have pupated. The life cycle is probably one year. 



Other records of larva? are — Digging in pure jungle, Babinda, yellow 

 clay loam, September 10th, one Stage III. ; digging cane-holes, recently 

 cleared jungle land, depth six inches, yellow clay loam, Harvey's Creek, 

 October 12th, one Stage III. 



The Pupa. 



All records from larva? kept in confinement. The first pupa was 

 obtained on October 31st, then through November to the middle of 

 December. Of five instances of which record was kept, the duration of 

 the pupal period was 17, 18, 19, 19, 21 days. A Stage III. larva foimd on 

 January 28tli pupated on February 18th and emerged March 7th, but 

 this is an exceptional case. 



The Adult. 



Actual emergence from the pupa first occurred on November 21st in 

 confinement. In 1914, the first emergence was noticed at Harvey's 

 Creek on December 13th, and on the 14th at Gordonvale, and from then 

 swarming was often observed until the middle of January ; in 1915 no 

 large emergence was noted, the first adult being seen on November 23rd. 

 The beetles swarm over low shrubs and trees, and exude a sweetish scent 

 which is distinctly noticeable in the air about them and which remains 

 on the hand for a considerable time when a swarming beetle has been 

 captured. A few specimens have been captured at light. No food-plants 

 have been recorded, but two adults were taken from flowers of the 

 Leichhardt-tree, apparently feeding on the honey. 



