525 



ENTOMOLOGICAL PROGRAM. 



On Some Interesting Archaic Insects (with exhibitions). 



BY DR. R. J. TILLYARD, 



Chief of the Biological Department, Cawthron Institute of 

 Scientific Research, Nelson, New Zealand. 



The insects exhibited consist partly of archaic AustraUan 

 and New Zealand forms and partly of other interesting forms 

 gathered during my present trip around the world, which will 

 be completed next month when I return to New Zealand. For 

 convenience they may be dealt with under the separate Orders 

 which they represent. 



Order Thysanura. 



A female specimen of a gigantic Japygid, belonging to the 

 genus Hctcrojapyx (sp. undescribed), from near Sydney, 

 N. S. W. 



Specimens of this insect have been found up to fully two 

 inches in length. They live in the soil often at considerable 

 depths, and behave very much like the common centipedes of 

 the genus Scolopendra, their mode of progression, in spite of 

 the absence of the paired abdominal legs, being very similar to 

 that of the centipedes. They also have the peculiar habit of 

 working backwards and upwards in the soil until the forceps 

 lies level with the surface, when they will lie in wait for their 

 prey, which they seize with the forceps, dragging it under 

 ground and devouring it when dead. 



Two interesting points about the morphology of this fine 

 insect may be mentioned here. The paired stylets of the 

 abdomen show a definite coxite and two distal joints. Hence 

 they would appear to be definitely the serial homologues of the 

 thoracic legs ; i. e., they are endopodites instead of epipodites, 

 as has been formerly supposed, on the analogy of the un jointed 

 stylets of other Thysanura with the epipodites of the thoracic 

 legs of Machilis. The arrangement of the spiracles, as in all 



Proc. Haw. Ent. Soc, TV, No. 3, September, 1921. 



