BY WALTER W. FROGGATT. 
331 
The life-history of this beetle is of importance, as the insect is 
a well-known orchard pest. The species was described by Mr. 
A. Sidney Olliff from specimens received from Mr. C. French; 
they had attacked the apples near Melbourne, and by puncturing 
them caused them to shrivel up before they were ripe. 
Mr. French has given an account of this pest and its ravages, 
with a plate containing figures of it in all stages, in his Hand- 
book of the Destructive Insects of Victoria* under the name 
of Doticus pestilens, the apple beetle. 
Hab. — Heathcote. 
M.ECHIDIUS RUGOSUS. 
The description of the larva of the previous species will serve 
also for this, except that it is slightly larger when full grown. 
The larvae live in the thick bark of Eucalyptus robusta, where they 
pupate; the beetle comes out in September and October, and will 
be found in crevices, or under loose bark on the trunks of the 
trees. 
This beetle is slightly larger than M. tibialis, having the same 
uniform coloration; the flanges in front of the head more angular, 
with the edges curved upward, and the back of the head and 
thorax very finely and closely punctured, so that the outer edges 
have a fine serrate appearance; the elytra covered with fine close 
deeply punctured parallel striae; the whole of the dorsal surface 
covered with very minute scale-like hairs scattered over the head 
and thorax; on the elytra forming regular lines along the lidges 
of the parallel stride. 
Bab.— Botany, KS.W. 
M^echidius tibialis, Blackburn. 
Larva dirty white, rather long and slender, the head pale 
yellow, with short ochreous-yellow labrum, and stout short jaws 
of the same colour; thoracic segment more constricted than the 
first abdominal segments; legs short, covered with short golden 
Part I. Chap. xiii. p. 83. 
