36 



rue Mask, upon olive. Its larva is a small, pale, flat, roundish grab, covered all 

 over with white cottony exudation. The beetle was not found in great numbers, 

 but some were sent here. 



Serangium hirtuosum Blackb. — Was found quite numerous at Toowoomba, Queens- 

 land, November, 1891, and April, 1892, upon orange infested with red and black 

 scales. Many were forwarded to California. 



Serangium maculigerum Blackb. — This insect was found very nnmerons during the 

 early part of the summer at Parramatta, New South Wales, upon orange 1 infested 

 with Red Scale, and was also found in large numbers upon a tree in the botanical 

 gardens at Sydney that was infested with the. same coccid. Repeatedly sent to 

 California. The above are the principal beneficial Coccinellidse studied in Aus- 

 tralia, so far as identified for me. The rest, not yet named, consist of groups similar 

 to those mentioned here. Many of these are Scymnids and Rhizobiids and can be 

 dealt with at some future time. A few injurious Coccinellida* were met with and 

 I will give an account of the same. 



Epilachna vigintiocto-punctata Fab. — This is a very numerous ami destructive insect 

 in New South Wales and Queensland. It was met with in all localities visited and 

 care was necessary in not mixing this with Coccinella conformis Boisd. in collecting, 

 which it greatly resembles, especially if worn, and as both species are found to- 

 gether upon orange and other trees. The larva was often bred on potato leavesand 

 other solanaceous plants, and I did not obtain any parasites, but Mr. Tryon reports 

 having bred parasites preying upon these larvae. The mature insect will appar- 

 ently occasionally feed upon Aphidae. I have caught one specimen in the act of 

 devouring the eggs of Orcus on the underside of an orange leaf; a second specimen 

 was found at Sydney, on April 23, 1892, upon Ficus rubigeuosa Desfontains, and feed- 

 ing upon Aspidiotus nerii Bouche. 



EpUachna vigintisex-punctala Boisd. — Was met with in the Richmond district, as 

 well as at Toowoomba, and is, like the foregoing, destructive to potato and melon 

 vines. 



Epilachna guttato-pustulaia Fabr. — Was met with in large numbers on the Clarence 

 River, New South Wales, in the forests, and chiefly upon a species of Ipomaea. 



Epilachna Montrouzieri var. Fijiensis. — This was found in the Fiji Islands, where 

 no particular food plant was observed. Probably the most valuable insect preying 

 upon our larger coccids are the larva' of a small moth that forms a covering over its 

 back as a protection against the various enemies, and so walks over the plants and 

 trees, devouring large numbers of coccids. 



Tlialpochares cocciphaga Meyr. — The larvaB of this valuable insect is perhaps most 

 numerous upon various Eucalypti infested with Eriococcu8 } a soft, globular scale 

 entirely covering one or more branches of these trees. The moth lays her eggs on 

 the bark or leaves singly in close proximity to the scabs, and the young as fchey 

 hatch at once begin their destructive work among them. Upon Lecanium the young 

 larvai will at first eat their way under one of the larger scales, devouring the con- 

 tents within and using the empty shell as a house, so to speak, carrying it around 

 on its back while feeding upon the other scales. As this becomes too small, other 

 empty scales are spun onto it in addition until the larva becomes grown, which is 

 probably in abont three weeks upon thesecoccids during summer. I had some flourish- 

 ing young orange trees infested with Lecanium oleai, /.. CO&8\nias } and L. hc*))cri(ln)i). 

 this latter species also w i t h male scales, upon which grown larva' could he found 

 every two weeks. They had to be collected thus often in order to keep some of the 



scale-, upon the trees and thereby obtain a certain supply of the larvsB for everj 



steamer leaving Sidney for San Francisco. UpOD the appearance of any danger or 



enemy in its walks the larva will immediately stop and pull the edges of its cover 



ingtightly to the bark or surface of the leaf, as the case may be, ami so fast and 

 Close are they thai the edges appeat to be spun onto the surface; they are thus m>t 

 readily removed. This covering is not only a protection against the parasites, but 



