94 AUSTRALIAN BUG. 



Hemerobiidce or Lace-wings the perfect insect flies in the 

 daytime, but is not readily disturbed when at rest. It is 

 short-lived." 



" The imago is of the size and shape figured, with 

 four iridescent azure and pink tinted transparent wings, 

 brownish green body, and yellow head and thorax. Eyes 

 deep purple, with a rusty tinge, and encircled with red. 

 Antennae long and slender. Wing-expanse about seven- 

 eighths of an inch. Length of body about a quarter of 

 an inch." 



The larva or grub is of the shape copied from Mr. 

 Bairstow's sketch (see figure, with the natural size 

 accompanying),, and of a dirty brown colour above, and 

 whitish below (for full description see note) ; and has the 

 remarkable habit, in common with others of its kind, of 

 piling a covering of scraps on its own back.* 



Mr. Bairstow thus notes the method of operation of 

 the grub : "Travelling up and down a branch, he at 

 last approached a good fat specimen of Dorthesia, and 

 began dragging with his mandibles pieces of the woolly 

 nidus, which he carefully arranged, and, throwing his 

 head backward, steadily deposited the fragments on his 

 body until it was quite covered. This I found was after- 

 wards utilised in metamorphosis for a domicile to protect 

 it in chrysalis state, and, being coated inside with some 

 gummy secretion, made a hard exterior and capital 

 fortress ; but in wrenching away the white nest from the 

 female bug, he was demolishing the only protection for 



* DESCRIPTION OF LARVA OF Chnjsopa (? iceryce, n.sp.). Length J inch. 

 Dirty brown on back, darkest where the woolly deposit is situated. 

 Beneath : semitransparent dirty grey, with deep brown divisional and 

 segmental markings. A longitudinal centre band forming grey irregularly- 

 shaped squares of varied dimensions centred on each, with dark brown 

 semitransparent spot and lateral marks of grey. Under prothorax and 

 thorax external organs are set off with a pale salmon-pink colour, very 

 variable in different specimens. Tarsal tips and anus black. The lateral 

 tubercles on each segment are setiferous and very conspicuous 1st, 2nd, 

 and 3rd being most prominent. First, dirty white, edged with black, and 

 setu- corresponding ; others dull white at base, and paler setii?. Ocelli 

 black, also longitudinal markings or lamina} reaching from near base of 

 mandibles to second pair of tubercles, black and conspicuous. Jaws about 

 one-sixth length of body ; palpi and antennae prominent. $. D. B. 



