184 Mr. E. E. Austen on the 



trees, those of the latter alone are carnivorous and prey upon 

 beetle larva?. The larva of Xyhphagus, as described by 

 Brauer (Denkschr. k. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Bd. xlvii. (1883) 

 pp. 23-24, Taf. iv. figs. 80-83 — Xylophagus ductus, F.),isa 

 cylindrical fleshy grub, with a parchment-like integument, a 

 greatly elongated head [Kieferhapsel, Brauer), and with 

 scutes or bands of chitin on the first ring or on the first three 

 postcephalic rings; the pupa is obtectate (Nymphe ei'ne freie 

 Mumienpuppe, Brauer) *. 



The larva of Xylomyia, on the other hand, is a very 

 different-looking creature, which closely resembles that of 

 certain well-known Stratiomyidse, such as Ghhromyia for- 

 mosa, Scop., and Actina tibialis, Mg.f The dried larva-skin 

 (puparium) of Xylomyia maculata, presented by Mr. Gorliam, 

 must, as in the case of ordinary Stratiomyid larvas, be pre- 

 cisely similar to the living larva in shape and general appear- 

 ance, owing to the hardness of the shell-like integument, 

 which is covered with closely-set ovoid scales or plates, and 

 does not admit of contraction. It is dark reddish brown in 

 colour, slightly tapering towards the extremities and oval in 

 transverse section ; the lateral margins of the body-segments 

 are expanded into tumid ridges. The head is very similar in 

 general appearance to that of the larva?, of Sargus, Chloromyia, 

 or Actina. Our larva-skin is 15*5 millim. (7'5 lines) in 

 length and about 4*5 millim. (or just over 2 lines) in greatest 

 breadth ; it consists of eleven segments behind the head, and 

 from the fifth to the eighth (postcephalic) segments the sides 

 of the body are nearly parallel ; the last segment, which is 

 somewhat truncate, bears on its hind margin a pair of tumid 

 lips enclosing a transverse horizontal cleft, in which open the 

 posterior stigmata; the anterior stigmata are found in the 

 usual position, one on each side of the first postcephalic (the 

 prothoracic) segment. Apparently, therefore, the larva is 



* The larva and pupa of Xrjlophagus eincius, F., were described more 

 than twenty years ago by the late Dr. F. Buchanan White (" Metamor- 

 phoses of Xyhphagus cinctus, F., and X. ater, F.," bv F. Buchanan White, 

 M.D., F.L.S., Ent. Month. Mag. vol. xiii. (1876) pp*. 160-162), who found 

 the larvae of both our British species of Xyhphagus in Braemar — those of 

 X. ductus under the bark of dead fir-trees, and those of A', ater between 

 the bark and wood of dead birch-stumps. The metamorphoses of 

 Xyhphagus cinctus have also been dealt with by Ferris (Ann. Soc. Ent. 

 Fr. ser. 4, t. x. (1870) pp. 202-205, pi. iii. figs. 70-79) in his paper on the 

 " Insectes du Pin Maritime." 



t Cf. a description of the larva of Chhrisops (Actina) tibialis, Mg., by 

 Adam Handlirsch (Verb. z.-b. Ges. Wien, Bd.xxxiii. (1883) pp. 24:' , ,-i ) 16, 

 woodcuts in text) ; the author found the larvae of this species in the 

 middle of August near Modling, in Lower Austria, in forest-mould, mixed 

 with much decaying vegetable matter. 



