NOTES ON A NEW ZEALAND APHIS. 171 



briefly as follows: — The larva, by lying in the midst of Aphides, 

 necessarily causes some of them to crawl over it, and on feeling 

 them touch its back it immediately darts out its long pointed 

 head and strikes an Aphis with the end, which is enveloped in a 

 quantity of very sticky mucous, constantly ejected from the 

 mouth. On the Aphis being thus captured the larva withdraws 

 its head into the hinder segments, and devours all the juicy 

 portions of the Aphis, the dry skin being afterwards thrown aside. 

 In its method of progression this larva resembles a small slug, 

 possessing no legs of any description. When full grown it slowly 

 shrinks up and changes into a curious-shaped coarctate pupa, 

 somewhat resembling a pear, with the stalk proceeding out side- 

 ways some little distance from the thinner end. This appendage 

 is the air-tube, bearing spiracles at its extremity. The pupa is 

 not protected b}' any kind of cocoon, but simply lays amongst the 

 refuse near the stem of the plant which the Aphides had affected. 

 In a fortnight or three weeks the fly emerges. It is very common 

 everywhere, and is fond of hovering over and sucking honey from 

 the flowers. Occasionally specimens may be seen running about 

 plants, probably in search of a suitable place to oviposit. 



One other species will complete our Aphis dependents, and 

 that is a small hymenopterous insect of a black colour ; the 

 abdomen red in the middle ; and the legs striped with black, 

 white, and orange. Length, 2^ lines. This insect has been 

 described by Smith in the ' Transactions of the Entomological 

 Society,' 1878, p. 3, under the name of Scolobates varipes. It is 

 parasitic in the Syrphus larva ; and being very common in some 

 places must destroy a considerable number of them. It entirely 

 eats the soft portion of the insect, being found in the pupa state 

 lying snugly within the hard old shell of the Syrphus pupa, 

 which forms a good protective cocoon for it. The ichneumon 

 emerges in a few days, and ma}' be found in the vicinity of Aphis 

 colonies, evidently searching for victims. 



The larva of Coccinella tasmanii no doubt feeds on Aphides, 

 but it is far from being common ; and as I have as yet only 

 found the pupa, this insect must at present terminate our list. 

 Karori, Wellington, New Zealand, April 26, 1884. 



