The Queensland Naturalist. Vol. 1 
that it may use its great three-toothed mandibles for the 
purpose of cutting the soil and the labrum for shovelling it 
out. However, close investigation of the insect would be 
necessary for proof of this supposition, which, if true, would 
certainly disclose the uses of these great organs. 
There are several other closely allied insects of the 
Locustidae found about Brisbane, some of them of great size, 
possessed of wings of fairly ample proportions, and able to 
fly well. They are nocturnal in habits, living during the 
day in the deserted tunnels of the wood-boring moths and 
beetles. These the females usually enlarge with their 
mandibles, if not big enough, and then seal up the entrance 
so as to be undisturbed when laying their eggs. When 
disturbed they are very militant, and can bite fiercely with 
their mandibles. I am also inclined to the belief that they 
are carnivorous in their tastes and scruple not to devour 
the tenants of the tunnels when they find them occupied. 
As regards the size of Anostostoma, there are many of 
the Locustid^ (winged forms) which are at first sight far 
larger. For instance, I have had specimens of the great 
New Guinea Eumegalodon quite six in. in expanse of wings, 
but the body is comparatively small. Were Anostostoma 
a winged form, they would expand to at least 9 inches to be 
able to carry the creature any distance in flight. 
Again, in New Zealand there are some large apterous 
insects, with very lengthy antenme, known technically as 
Deinacrida, of which several species are recognised; one, 
the Deinacrida heteracaniha, “ Wetapunga '' of the Maories, 
is common, and about 2^ inches or even more in length. 
ODD NOTES ON SOME INSECTS FROM THE GARDEN. 
By R. Illidge, 
Asota [Hypsa) plagiota. — The examples exhibited are 
rare varieties of this common insect lately bred out. We hope 
to be able shortly to conclusively prove that this species 
and A. iodanica are but varieties of one species. 
Nyctemera secnndiano . — The larvae of this moth have 
been playing havoc with Cineraria. 
Eutelia jocosatrix. — The moth (an introduced insect, 
by the way) known by this name, is proving rather destructive 
to the mango tree, the young shoots of which are in many 
cases stripped quite bare of leaves by the pale green and 
speckled larvae. 
Brunia replana, — A pretty lithosiad moth — not destruc- 
tive — larvae feeds on lichens. 
Anthela acuta.- — These are dark female forms of a rather 
common moth, the hairy caterpillars of which feed on many 
plants, but more particularly the Eucalypti. They do not 
occur in numbers sufficient to be called destructive, however. 
