MASTERS' GUM BORER. 99 



CHAPTER LXXXIII. 



MASTERS' GUM BORER. 



( Tryphocharia mastersi, Pascoe. ) 



Order : Coleoptera. 



This fine, though very destructive, Longicorn beetle 

 is chiefly responsible for a great portion of the damage 

 done to gum-trees around Melbourne, and throughout 

 the greater portion of the State. The credit of first 

 determining the life-history of this beetle is due to the 

 field investigations of Mr.. Giles before mentioned. 

 The larvae of this beetle do considerable damage to the 

 gum {Eucalyptus amygdalina) saplings ; the larvae 

 work round and round the trunk of the trees, the top 

 part falling to the ground into which the larvae have 

 burrowed; the trees have the appearance of having- 

 been blown down, as the cut boughs are very rough, and 

 not like the usual smooth cut boughs of the other 

 Longicorns. Most of the large blue-gums {E.globulus) 

 in our Botanic Gardens and Domain have been destroyed 

 by the larvae of these and other beetles ; and when the 

 trees were being split up for fire-wood many of the 

 perfect beetles of this kind were found, the month of 

 September being the time of their first appearance > 

 the usual time being January and February. 



It has been noticed that many of the larvae of this 

 beetle are destroyed by some fungus growth, which also 

 kills off the perfect beetles while in the wood, and before 

 emergency. The eggs are yellowish, and when first 

 deposited are covered with a sticky substance. We 

 have noticed that thirty-five eggs have been laid by the 

 one female when in confinement, and that the perfect 

 beetles have lived for three weeks without food. 



