Entomological Society, 4003 



Mr. Edwin Shepherd exhibited Retinia Turionana, from West Wiokham ; and 

 Madopa Salicalis, Spilonota simplana, Chrosis Audouinana, Eupitheeia Succenturi- 

 ata, and Roslerstammia perlepidella, from Darenth Wood. 



Mr. Westwood exhibited Hylobius Abietis, a beetle usually found ou young pines, 

 but this season discovered to be destructive to plum and peach trees in some districts ; 

 Coleophora Luscinisepennella, reared from leaves of rose-trees, to which the larvse had 

 done considerable damage ; Ourapteryx Sambucaria, with its pupa, directing atten- 

 tion to some peculiarities of the latter not hitherto noticed, as the dilation just above 

 the very acute terminal point, and the number of small recurved hooks by which, it 

 attaches itself to the threads of its cocoon ; and the imago and transformations of 

 Lampronia corticella, St., the larva of which feeds in the buds of raspberries, remark- 

 ing especially upon the singular manner in which in the pupa the haustellum is rolled 

 up laterally. He also read the following letter : — 



" Small Arms Office, 



" Birmingham, June 13, 1853. 

 " Sir, 



" In the translation of that very interesting book of Kollar, on 

 ' Insects injurious to Gardeners and Foresters,' I have sought for the history, habitat 

 and description of those insects which infest and destroy the timber in our store-houses, 

 aud more especially those which attack walnut-wood in preference : but I find only a 

 very slight reference to the Anobium, as being the cause of that I would proceed 

 against. I am no entomologist, not from want of inclination, but of time; but being 

 concerned in the care and conservation of a very large store of rough musket-stocks 

 in the public magazines, every recurring season makes me more anxious to devise, if 

 possible, some means of defence against the insidious enemies known amongst work- 

 men under the general name of 'the grub.' 



" It is upon these grounds that I trust you will pardon me fur troubling you with 

 a few questions. Some fourteen years ago I received valuable help and information 

 from your Society upon the subject of an insect of the Bostrichus tribe, which I had 

 unwittingly imported through Marseilles, and I am now induced to come again for 

 help against our indigenous enemies. 



" The beetles that I send inclosed are some that were taken off piles of walnut- 

 stocks at Weedon, last week ; I found some of the larva? also — small white maggots, 

 not larger than a horse-hair — but these were lost on the way home. 



" 1. Will you have the goodness to give me the proper name of this particular in- 

 sect, and the family that it belongs to ? 

 " 2. At what season of the year does the parent beetle deposit her eggs ? 

 " 3. In what period of time from that are the larvae hatched ? 

 " 4. Do they (the maggots) penetrate into the wood immediately after coming out 



of the egg ? 

 " 5. How long do they remain feeding in the wood, or lying dormant in the pupa 



state, before emerging as perfect beetles ? 

 " 6. Does the course of transformation of this tribe of beetles take place more than 



once in the same year ? 

 " 7. My observation leads me to the conclusion that the first palpable external 

 sign of the grub having been in the wood, is the hole made by the perfect 

 beetle in coming out : is this opinion well founded ? 



