Feb.. 1922 
63 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
solida; 20, Rhytiphora rubeta ; 21, Ropica exocentroides ; 
22, Sybra acuta ; 23, Ameipsis marginicollis ; 24, Rhytiphora 
polymita. 
In the sub-family Prionides only one species, so far, 
has been bred out, and that is rare about Brisbane. It is 
Hceleocantha glabricollis, of which perfect examples were 
obtained at the base of a large Acacia cunninghamii , the 
wood so hard that it blunted the tomahawk. Two larvae 
were also cut out ; these shortly pupated in the receptacles 
in which placed, of which one emerged perfect, the other 
crippled. 
Of the Cerambycides, many of which are amongst the 
most elegant of beetles, eight species have been bred, none 
of which is pretty, though Xystrocera virescens has a 
silken sheen, especially when fresh. The male Piesarthrius 
marginellus has curious fan-like antenme. Xystrocera is 
one of the species which was found in A. Bailey ana, but is 
most abundant in the creek-side wattle, A. Imifolia , and 
also A. decurrens . The larva of P. marginellus cuts off the 
branch, as if with a keen knife, just above its burrow, and 
then plugs up the hole. Occasionally, it makes a mistake 
and cuts itself off below, and hence falls to the ground. 
No. 7, Uracanthus sp., acts precisely as Piesarthrius. 
P. fall ax, the only species of the genus Phoracantha I know 
of that attacks the wattle, together with the other Ceramby- 
cides on the list, is usually found in considerable numbers 
in the main stems, or in the branches, though each works 
in a separate burrow. 
Amongst the Lamiides, Penthea pardalis and Penthea 
solid-a are found in the roots close to the base of tree. The 
female beetle triturates the bark and lays its eggs therein. 
Rhytiphora rubeta bores the main stems and larger branches 
and causes a swelling of those parts, and R. polymita is 
found in the stems of a small species of wattle. Symphyletes 
does the same, except that no swelling is noticeable. 
The wattles most prolific of beetle life are the true 
leaf-bearing forms as Acacia- decurrens , and of those bear- 
ing dilated petioles (phvllodia), A. limfolia, cunninghamii, 
and longifolia. 
The list must not be taken as complete, for no doubt 
there will yet be found many others of which it is the host 
plant. Many species have been taken off the tree, but this 
does not mean that it constitutes the food plant of their 
initial stages as larvae. 
Numbers of small larvae, when perforating the bark 
soon after emergence from the ova., cause a flow of gum 
through the tiny hole, which frequently results in their 
death ere they can do any further harm. In other insects 
