The Cane Grubs of Australia. 21 



XYLOTRUPES AUSTRALICUS Thomson. 



The Larva. 



The following records have been made from eanefields : — Ploughing 

 in cane, black loam soil, soil containing sugar-refuse manure. May 9th, 

 produced 8 Stage III., 1 Stage II.; ploughing in cane, dark loam soil, 

 June 9th, yielded 1 Stage III., 1 Stage II. ; ploughing in cane, red 

 volcanic soil, gave 1 Stage III. In the case of the first record the sugar- 

 refuse manure probably accounted for the presence of the larvae. 



The Adult. 



First emergence was observed on November 16th, a male flying to 

 light, and from that date until the middle of January beetles were caught 

 at lights on a number of occasions. At Kuranda during the latter half 

 of February, many beetles were seen on young branches of Poinciana 

 and Philantlius. 



HORONOTUS OPTATUS Sharp. 



The Larva. 



Stage II. larvae were found in August, September, and October; 

 many Stage III. in the latter had recently moulted from Stage II., and 

 as no Stage II. were obtained in November, all must have entered 

 Stage III. 



The Pupa. 



In confinement the first pupa was taken on November 18th, and 

 many were found until the end of that month and throughout December. 



The Adult. 



The first unemerged adult was obtained in confinement on December 

 9th. Beetles flew to lights on January 5th, March 22nd, April 9th and 

 16th. Digging in sand, August 16th, yielded a single beetle. 



DASYGNATHUS AUSTRALIS DEJEANI Mad. 



The Egg. 



A female beetle ploughed up in a canefield was placed in damp sifted 

 soil in confinement; on the 18th November the cage was examined finding 

 fourteen eggs ; these hatched between November 26th and December 5th, 

 thus giving the duration of the egg stage as at least seventeen days. 



The Larva. 



The larvae of both Isoclon piutcticoUis and Semanopterus depressius- 

 culus have been confused with this species in Bulletin No. 2, and the 

 Stage I. and II. records given therein are valueless. 



Two recently hatched larva; placed in damp sifted soil on December 

 3rd entered Stage II. between Januar}- 1st and February 5th ; thus Stage 

 I. was of 56-71 days' duration. Stage II. larva? were first recorded on 

 December 3rd ; in January they were more plentiful than Stage III. ; 

 in February 23 per cent, were in Stage II. ; in IMarch onlj^ a ven^ few 

 remained in this Stage, the last being found on March 31st. The first 



