270 INSECTS 



Menopon bisertathn, Nitzsch. Body-louse of Chickens 



This species also occurs in New Zealand, and has been identified 

 by Col. Reid. 



Sub-order PSEUDO-NEUROPTERA 



Family Atropid^ 



Atropos pulsatoria, Linn. Book-louse ; Lesser Death Watch ; 



Book-tick 



This is a very generally distributed insect, which feeds on the 

 paste of books, wall-papers, etc. It has been long known, and was 

 probably introduced over a century ago, wdth the first papers and 

 books. 



(See Appendix B, p. 558.) 



Order IV. HYMENOPTERA 



Family Tenthredine/e. (Sawflies) 



Eriocampa limacina, De Geer [Eriocampa adumbrata, Klug ; Selandria 

 cerasi, Curtis). Slug-worm, Leech. (Europe) 



Osten-Sacken appears to have been the first to record the occur- 

 rence of this insect in New Zealand between 1870 and 1888. It is 

 now very abundant all over New Zealand ; the larvae feeding on pear, 

 cherry, hav^rthorn, plum, peach, and other trees of the Rosacese. In 

 the North Island it is particularly destructive, and practically prevents 

 the use of the hawthorn as a hedge-plant. In the south it seems to 

 appear too late in the season to do much harm. Howes has found it 

 on the native tutu {Coriaria ruscifolia) at Queenstown. 



It is attacked and destroyed by two indigenous bugs, Cermatulus 

 nasalis, Westwood, and Nezara amoyti. White ; also by the introduced 

 Australian wasp, Polistes tasmaniemis. Mr Holman of Whangarei 

 informs me that the native cuckoo {Eudynatnis taiiiensis) eats a con- 

 siderable number of these slugs when they are in the larval condition^. 



Family SiricidjE 



Sirexjuvencus, Linn. Steel-blue Sawfly 



This European species has been found at the Government planta- 

 tions at Whakarewarewa ; the larvae attack Pintis radiata, boring into 

 the timber. 



^ In the British Board of Agriculture's Leaflet No. 62 (March, 1900), it is stated 

 that the Eriocampa limacina does much harm to pear and cherry trees in America. 

 Harris, writing as early as 1797, says: "Small trees were covered with them, and 

 their foliage entirely destroyed, and even the air, by passing through the trees, 

 became charged with a disagreeable and sickening odour given out by these slimy 

 creatures." The same thing has been noticed in England'. 



