BELATED CANE BEETLES AND THEIR ALLIES. 61 



Eavenshoe (3,500 feet), Kiiranda, Gordonvale, Ingham, and Ayr, out no 

 records have been made from Babinda or Innisfail, although it seems to 

 be equally at home in forest and scrub lands. They swarm in great 

 numbers around low shrubs and bushes. Very little is known of their 

 food plants, the only one observetl being IlomalaxtJms populif alius 

 (family Euphorbiaeeaj) ; an example of this scrub tree, 20 feet high, 

 growing in a garden at Kuranda, was much resorted to by the beetles. 

 The larvae are found in forest land, or in fallow or grassy canefields. 



NESO DUCALIS BLACKBURN. 



In colour this species is of a rather light reddish brown, and more 

 closely resembles Haplonydia dilatata Lea. Adults have been collected 

 .sparingly at lights at Gordonvale ; swarming took place in considerable 

 numbers on low bushes along roadsides in cane areas at Mossman, 27th 

 .November to 3rd December, 1918. Nothing is known as to the life-history. 



SCITALA. 



Two undetermined species of this genus occur in the scrub areas 

 -around Babinda, where they are commonly taken at lights. In appearance 

 -and size they are very similar to Neso ducaJIs. 



FRENCHELLA FIMBRIATA LEA. 



A very rare insect. A single example was captured from the foliage 

 of Eucalyptus at Greenhills, January, 1920. It is a very similar ])eetle 

 to those of the three foregoing genera. 



HETERONYX SOLLICITUS BLACKBURN. 



Several species of this genus are met with in the Northern cane 

 areas, flying to lights in large numbers; they are all small brown 

 beetles, and scarcely distinguishable from each other. H. solliciius is 

 the most frequent, and is recorded by Girault and Dodd as No. 616. We 

 have little data to supply on the subject. A first emergence was noticed 

 at Greenhills on 11th January, 1920, a small number swarming on 

 cane-leaves ; the following evening they were very abundant on the 

 trees in the forest, but were not observed feeding. On 5th December, 

 1920, they were in multitudes, feeding on Moreton Bay ash ( Eucalyptus 

 tcsselaris), cockatoo apple {Carcya australis), and rough-leaved fig 

 (Ficus opposita) ; many pairs were seen in copula, the male hanging 

 head dow^nward like the Lepidiotas. 



ENGYOPS FLAVUS LEA. 



A small yellow form, not very distinct from the species of Hetrronyx; 

 it occurs prolifically at l^abinda. and flies to lights in great numbers. 



EPHOLCIS BILOBICEPS FAIRMAIRE. 



The larv;e of this curious little species was designated No. 609 by 

 Girault and Dodd, who recorded them from Gordonvale and Cooktown. 

 Probably it is a forest dweller. Tlie adults are not addicted to fiying 

 to lights, and have the peculiar habit of congregating in vast numbers, 

 piled one on top of another, under the bark of trees in the forest. A 

 large blue gimi {Eucalyptus tcreticornis) had them under loose bark on 

 its sheltered side to a height of 25 feet. A small, dead, upright, and 

 termite-ridden wattle held thousands under its hanging bark, in crevices. 



