THE LORANTHACEAE OV AUSTRALIA, 1., 



Insects Attacking the Mistletoe. 



Quite a number of different kinds of insect gall are found upon some 

 species, both on the leaves, young shoots, buds and fruits. These galls vary 

 considerably in shape and size. So far few of the insects which cause them 

 have been determined. Mr. G. A. Waterhouse (These Proceedings, xxsi., 1906, 

 pp. 424, 425) exhibited specimens of all the known Australian species of Ogyns 

 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae), which feed mainly upon the Loranthus. "Comment- 

 ing on the habits of their larvae, he remarked that so far all had been found 

 to feed on various species of Loranthus, feeding by night only and hiding dur- 

 ing daylight under pieces of bark, in holes in the trees, under stones on the 

 ground, or even in ants' nests. Most of the species are attended by ants, which 

 seem to be very useful to them. About 7 o'clock one evening he watched larvae 

 of 0. ianthis making their way from a piece of Loranthus to their hiding place. 

 These larvae did not seem to have any idea of direction, for they frequently 

 attempted to go quite away from their hiding place, but were prevented by the 

 ants blocking their further progress in that direction." 



Mr. J. J. Fletcher (These Proc, xxxiv., 1909, 419) exhibited a number 

 of Diptera pronounced by Mr. W. W. Froggatt, Government Entomologist, to 

 be probably an undescribed species of Ceratitis, bred from fruits of Loranthus 

 pendulum (L. Miquelii Lehm.), forwarded from Perth, Western Australia, by 

 Dr. J. B. Cleland. "The majority of the fruits sent were infested with larvae — 

 one in each infested fruit — which had eaten out the seeds more or less com- 

 pletely by the time they were ready to pupate." The following year in the 

 same journal (pp. 862-3) Mr. W. W. Froggatt pronounced the insect to be 

 Ceratitis Loranthi Froggatt. 



Mr. J. A. Kershaw (Vict. Nat., xxv., 1908-09, 131) recorded a search for 

 the "Larvae and pupae of the rare blue butter-fly, Ogyris olane. The larvae 

 feed on the Mistletoe, Loranthus pendulus, and when fully grown, travel down 

 the tree-trunk (often a considerable distance) to near the base, pupating under 

 the loose bark." Several pupae were found. 



Messrs. A. A. Hamilton and G. A. Waterhouse (Aust. Naturalist, iii., 1915, 

 p. 90) recorded having found the larvae of the butterfly Ogyris amarylUs 

 amaryllis on the branches of L. linophyllus var. (6) Benth. at Tuggerah Lakes. 



T. S. Hart (Vict. Nat., xxxiv., 1917, 33) drew attention to the larvae of 

 the "Mistletoe Butterfly," Delias harpaleyense Don on Loranthus celastroides 

 (Phrygilanthtis celastroides) . 



Some fruits of Loranthus No. 24, which I had received from Mr. A. Morris, 

 Broken Hill, contained larvae; when hatched out, they proved to be a species 

 of moth, which Mr. W. W. Froggatt determined as one of the Microlepidoptera. 



Many plants, particularly old ones, are infested with scale insects in the 

 Hornsby district, which have a bad effect upon the parasites. The Indian Wax 

 Scale, Geroplastes cer'ciferus Andr., and the two Red Scales, C. rubens Marsk., 

 a,nd Aspifliiiiiis mi nail ii Marsk., were noted on the following species by me: 

 Phn/iiilniilhii-^ ii lii.--l ruides, P. eucalyptif alius, Loranthus congener, L. pendulus, 

 L. (iaiKlicluiiiili. L. nh-ilinus, and Notothixos subaureus. Mr. T. Steel also drew 

 my attenticjn to the Indian Wax Scale on P. eucalyptifolius near Kuring-gai 

 station, near Sydney. 



Economic Uses. 



So far Loranthus and allied genera have not been put to any extensive 

 economic uses. All the species produce edible fruits which are eagerly sought 



