1150 
DIPTRRA OF AUSTRALIA, 
The larvse live on the juices of fungi and decaying vegetalile 
matter ; they have V)een found most abundantly in Eurojie in the 
rotten trunks of trees, and fungi belonging to the genera Agarims, 
PoJyporus, Boletus, Hydnum, and Dcedalea, all of which, and 
many more, have their representatives in Austi'alia. It does not 
seem that the larva of a given species is restricted in its food to a 
particular fungus ; on the contrary, some may be discovered 
attacking fungi indiscriminately, while according to Winnertz, in 
dry years when the fungi do not grow, even those species which 
under ordinary circumstances must rely on fungi, are found in 
rotten trunks of trees. j\Iany of the larvae are gregarious in their 
liabits. In order to prepare for the next metamorphosis, the 
majority go under ground, the rest pupate in the spot where they 
have hitherto resided. When fully grown they may or may not 
form a cocoon or puparium. • Some prepare a more or less rough 
cocoon, rounded olf at both ends, of which one end is broader 
than the other, and provided with a cap, which is easily pushed 
off by the pei-fect insect when i*eady to emerge ; others make a 
tent-like web with which they invest themselves. Wahllierg, in 
1849, published a long account of his observations on the life- 
history and metamorphoses of Ceroplati(,s sesioides, and he found 
that both the larvte and pupae emitted a phosphorescent light. 
The cocoons do not shine, but permit the light of the pupae to 
pass through them like a paper lantern. 
In 1886 Ml’. Meyrick communicated anotetothe “Entomologists' 
Monthly Magazine” from Wellington (N.Z.), stating that he had 
observed a densely shaded creek near Auckland illuminated after 
dark with great numbers of larvae, but insufficient opportunity 
prevented his investigating these creatures. Mr. Hudson, in the 
October number of this magazine for the same year, recorded 
further observations on these larvse from Wellington. He says : 
“ The insect inhabits irregular cavities in the bank, where it 
hangs suspended in a glutinous web, which also appears to 
envelope its body, large quantities of sticky mucus being periodi- 
cally shot out of the mouth and formed into threads as required, 
but I have never seen anything like a net extended in front of 
