﻿252 
  d. 
  d'emmerez 
  de 
  charmoy. 
  

  

  The 
  greatest 
  number 
  of 
  eggs 
  laid 
  by 
  females 
  in 
  captivity 
  was 
  19, 
  the 
  egg-laying 
  

   period 
  extending 
  over 
  a 
  month 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  ; 
  but 
  probably 
  more 
  eggs 
  are 
  laid 
  under 
  

   natural 
  conditions. 
  At 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  laying 
  period 
  an 
  egg 
  is 
  deposited 
  nearly 
  

   every 
  two 
  days, 
  and 
  not 
  infrequently 
  every 
  day. 
  Towards 
  the 
  close, 
  however, 
  laying 
  

   becomes 
  very 
  irregular, 
  the 
  intervals 
  between 
  the 
  later 
  layings 
  being 
  five 
  to 
  six 
  days. 
  

   The 
  period 
  of 
  incubation 
  is 
  usually 
  six 
  days, 
  very 
  rarely 
  five. 
  The 
  cell 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  

   parasitised 
  larva 
  lies, 
  contrary 
  to 
  what 
  is 
  generally 
  supposed, 
  is 
  not 
  constructed 
  by 
  

   the 
  larva 
  itself, 
  but 
  by 
  the 
  Scoliid 
  before 
  the 
  egg 
  is 
  deposited. 
  

  

  Larva 
  (Plate 
  vii, 
  figs. 
  2, 
  3). 
  — 
  The 
  young 
  larva 
  measures 
  5 
  mm. 
  without 
  the 
  neck, 
  

   which 
  is 
  inserted 
  in 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  Oryctes 
  larva. 
  Larval 
  growth 
  takes 
  place 
  slowly 
  

   and 
  regularly 
  during 
  the 
  first 
  two 
  days. 
  The 
  average 
  increase 
  from 
  the 
  first 
  to 
  the 
  

   seventh 
  day 
  is 
  about 
  2 
  mm. 
  a 
  day, 
  the 
  average 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  larva 
  on 
  the 
  seventh 
  

   day 
  being 
  14 
  mm. 
  by 
  8 
  mm. 
  From 
  then 
  onwards 
  rapid 
  and 
  marked 
  increase 
  takes 
  

   place, 
  averaging 
  5 
  mm. 
  a 
  day 
  ; 
  on 
  the 
  last 
  day 
  the 
  larva 
  remains 
  attached 
  to 
  its 
  host, 
  

   the 
  growth 
  during 
  the 
  last 
  six 
  hours 
  being 
  3 
  mm., 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  which 
  time 
  the 
  larva 
  

   has 
  reached 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  28-30 
  mm. 
  by 
  10-12 
  mm. 
  without 
  the 
  neck, 
  and 
  38-40 
  mm. 
  

   in 
  total 
  length. 
  These 
  dimensions 
  are 
  for 
  male 
  larvae 
  ; 
  the 
  females 
  attain 
  

   31-33 
  mm. 
  by 
  15 
  mm. 
  without 
  the 
  neck, 
  and 
  40-45 
  mm. 
  in 
  total 
  length. 
  The 
  

   duration 
  of 
  the 
  larval 
  period 
  is 
  10 
  to 
  12 
  days. 
  

  

  Pupa. 
  — 
  The 
  male 
  cocoon 
  is 
  generally 
  smaller 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  and 
  varies 
  in 
  

   size 
  from 
  28 
  by 
  11 
  mm. 
  to 
  33 
  by 
  14 
  mm., 
  while 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  is 
  less 
  subject 
  to 
  

   variation 
  and 
  measures 
  on 
  the 
  average 
  38 
  by 
  17 
  mm. 
  Both 
  are 
  ovoid, 
  yellowish-brown 
  

   in 
  colour, 
  and 
  consist 
  of 
  a 
  case 
  of 
  hard 
  resistant 
  material 
  about 
  0-3 
  mm. 
  thick, 
  

   covered 
  with 
  three 
  layers 
  of 
  silk 
  of 
  thin 
  texture 
  (Plate 
  vii, 
  fig. 
  4). 
  The 
  duration 
  

   of 
  the 
  pupal 
  stage 
  varies 
  enormously, 
  some 
  individuals 
  taking 
  three 
  months 
  and 
  

   others 
  10 
  to 
  14 
  months. 
  The 
  reasons 
  that 
  determine 
  these 
  variations 
  are 
  not 
  clear, 
  

   especially 
  in 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  in 
  one 
  case, 
  viz., 
  the 
  progeny 
  of 
  a 
  parthenogenetic 
  

   female, 
  the 
  pupal 
  period 
  was 
  the 
  same 
  for 
  all 
  the 
  offspring, 
  whilst 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  

   another 
  female 
  (sexual) 
  the 
  pupal 
  period 
  of 
  the 
  progeny 
  varied 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  1 
  1 
  \ 
  months, 
  

   although 
  the 
  conditions 
  were 
  exactly 
  similar 
  throughout. 
  It 
  is 
  obvious, 
  however, 
  

   that 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  only 
  one 
  generation 
  a 
  year. 
  

  

  Adult. 
  — 
  As 
  Coquerel 
  has 
  already 
  described 
  the 
  insect 
  at 
  length, 
  only 
  a 
  brief 
  descrip- 
  

   tion 
  is 
  given 
  here. 
  The 
  female 
  (Plate 
  vii, 
  fig. 
  6), 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  stout 
  insect, 
  

   measures 
  35 
  to 
  40 
  mm. 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  10 
  mm. 
  in 
  width 
  at 
  the 
  thorax 
  and 
  abdomen. 
  

   The 
  head, 
  the 
  fore 
  legs, 
  and 
  the 
  terminal 
  joints 
  of 
  the 
  antennae 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  reddish-brown 
  

   colour, 
  while 
  the 
  abdomen 
  and 
  hind 
  legs 
  are 
  black 
  with 
  a 
  brilliant 
  lustre. 
  The 
  

   wings 
  have 
  a 
  spread 
  of 
  60 
  to 
  65 
  mm. 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  smoky 
  in 
  colour 
  and 
  slightly 
  

   iridescent 
  ; 
  on 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  front 
  wing 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  broad 
  rust-coloured 
  band, 
  

   which 
  does 
  not 
  extend 
  to 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  wing. 
  

  

  The 
  male 
  (Plate 
  vii, 
  fig. 
  5) 
  is 
  smaller 
  and 
  more 
  slender, 
  and 
  is 
  also 
  more 
  

   pubescent 
  ; 
  its 
  antennae 
  are 
  nearly 
  twice 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  female. 
  Whilst 
  

   the 
  female 
  shows 
  a 
  marked 
  constancy 
  in 
  size, 
  the 
  male, 
  on 
  the 
  contrary, 
  exhibits 
  

   great 
  variations. 
  The 
  average 
  male 
  measures 
  35 
  mm. 
  in 
  length, 
  but 
  specimens 
  

   measuring 
  only 
  21 
  mm. 
  have 
  been 
  met 
  with. 
  

  

  Parthenogenesis. 
  — 
  Nowell, 
  when 
  dealing 
  with 
  Tiphia 
  parallela, 
  called 
  attention 
  to 
  

   the 
  phenomenon 
  of 
  parthenogenesis 
  in 
  Scoliids. 
  The 
  case 
  of 
  Scolia 
  oryctophaga, 
  

   recorded 
  here, 
  leads 
  to 
  the 
  belief 
  that 
  it 
  will 
  prove 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  not 
  unusual 
  phenomenon 
  

   in 
  this 
  group 
  of 
  Hymenoptera. 
  

  

  Notes 
  on 
  other 
  Scoliids 
  in 
  Madagascar 
  and 
  Mauritius. 
  

  

  Scolia 
  carnifex, 
  Coq. 
  

  

  Coquerel 
  records 
  having 
  found 
  this 
  species 
  in 
  decaying 
  coconut 
  trunks 
  containing 
  

   Oryctes 
  larvae, 
  and 
  concluded 
  that, 
  like 
  Scolia 
  oryctophaga, 
  it 
  parasitised 
  Oryctes 
  

  

  