﻿LIFE-HISTORY 
  OF 
  AUSTRALIAN 
  MOTH-LACEWING, 
  ITHONE 
  FUSCA, 
  NEWMAN. 
  211 
  

  

  But 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  placed 
  on 
  loose 
  soil, 
  it 
  begins 
  to 
  burrow 
  with 
  remarkable 
  rapidity, 
  

   passing 
  the 
  grains 
  of 
  sand 
  backwards 
  between 
  its 
  strong 
  burrowing 
  legs, 
  so 
  that 
  

   its 
  mode 
  of 
  progression 
  much 
  resembles 
  that 
  of 
  climbing 
  over 
  a 
  continuous 
  succession 
  

   of 
  moving 
  particles. 
  It 
  works 
  steadily 
  downwards 
  through 
  the 
  top 
  layer 
  of 
  dry 
  

   soil, 
  until 
  it 
  reaches 
  the 
  zone 
  of 
  slight 
  moisture, 
  where 
  it 
  passes 
  its 
  existence. 
  During 
  

  

  Fig. 
  2. 
  Itkone 
  fusca, 
  Newm., 
  first 
  larval 
  instar, 
  newly 
  

   hatched, 
  lateral 
  view 
  ( 
  x 
  40). 
  

  

  dry 
  weather 
  the 
  larvae 
  could 
  be 
  found 
  from 
  18 
  in. 
  to 
  over 
  2 
  ft. 
  below 
  the 
  surface 
  ; 
  

   but 
  after 
  rains 
  they 
  work 
  upwards, 
  always 
  keeping 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  zone 
  of 
  slight 
  

   moisture, 
  at 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  level 
  as 
  the 
  Coleopterous 
  larvae 
  on 
  which 
  they 
  prey- 
  

   In 
  exploring 
  the 
  soil 
  for 
  food, 
  they 
  often 
  work 
  spirally, 
  turning 
  round 
  and 
  round 
  

   with 
  a 
  screw-like 
  progression, 
  and 
  thus 
  examining 
  a 
  very 
  great 
  volume 
  of 
  soil 
  in 
  a 
  

   small 
  space. 
  As 
  they 
  are 
  quite 
  blind, 
  and 
  have 
  excessively 
  short 
  antennae, 
  it 
  is 
  

   doubtful 
  by 
  what 
  sense 
  they 
  become 
  aware 
  of 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  their 
  prey, 
  unless 
  by 
  

   actual 
  contact. 
  In 
  this 
  connection, 
  we 
  do 
  not 
  know 
  for 
  what 
  purpose 
  they 
  emit 
  

   the 
  strong 
  odour 
  of 
  citronella 
  which 
  is 
  characteristic 
  of 
  them. 
  It 
  may 
  possibly 
  

   serve 
  to 
  prevent 
  them 
  from 
  coming 
  in 
  contact 
  with 
  one 
  another 
  and 
  so 
  attacking 
  

   one 
  another 
  in 
  mistake 
  for 
  Coleopterous 
  grubs. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  is 
  a 
  detailed 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  newly 
  hatched 
  larva 
  : 
  Head 
  

   moderately 
  large, 
  broader 
  than 
  long, 
  somewhat 
  narrower 
  than 
  the 
  very 
  wide 
  pro- 
  

   thorax. 
  Epicranium 
  smooth, 
  shiny, 
  cream-coloured, 
  carrying 
  about 
  11 
  setae 
  on 
  

   each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  middle 
  line. 
  Compound 
  eyes 
  and 
  ocelli 
  entirely 
  absent. 
  Antennae 
  

   very 
  short, 
  with 
  only 
  five 
  segments, 
  as 
  shown 
  in 
  text-fig. 
  3a 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  inserted 
  on 
  the 
  

   epicranium 
  somewhat 
  behind 
  and 
  above 
  the 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  mandibles, 
  with 
  their 
  bases 
  

   wide 
  apart. 
  The 
  basal 
  segment 
  is 
  about 
  as 
  broad 
  as 
  long, 
  the 
  next 
  somewhat 
  shorter, 
  

   the 
  3rd 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  broad, 
  the 
  4th 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  basal 
  segment, 
  

   slightly 
  broader 
  than 
  the 
  3rd, 
  the 
  5th 
  a 
  small 
  knob 
  seated 
  on 
  the 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  4th, 
  

   and 
  carrying 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  sensory 
  setae 
  ; 
  there 
  are 
  also 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  longer 
  tactile 
  

   setae 
  upon 
  the 
  4th 
  segment 
  distally. 
  These 
  antennae 
  are 
  superficially 
  like 
  the 
  

   labial 
  palpi, 
  but 
  the 
  latter 
  have 
  their 
  bases 
  very 
  close 
  together. 
  Between 
  and 
  in 
  

   front 
  of 
  the 
  antennae 
  the 
  epicranium 
  dips 
  downwards 
  as 
  a 
  narrow 
  frontal 
  shelf, 
  

   separated 
  from 
  which 
  by 
  an 
  indistinct 
  suture 
  is 
  the 
  clypeo-labral 
  plate, 
  which 
  projects 
  

   between 
  the 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  mandibles, 
  with 
  a 
  nearly 
  straight 
  front 
  edge, 
  carrying 
  four 
  

   strong 
  setae. 
  The 
  mandibles 
  and 
  maxillae 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  extraordinary 
  form, 
  

   even 
  for 
  a 
  Planipennian 
  larva. 
  In 
  this 
  Order, 
  as 
  is 
  well 
  known, 
  the 
  two 
  pairs 
  of 
  jaws 
  

   become 
  highly 
  specialised 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  sucking-jaws 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  

  

  