100 
MEMOIRS OF TEE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 
being isolated in its own chamber or cavity. A tin was filled with pieces of 
the fungus, and was examined at intervals on subsequent occasions. On 
February 3rd, 1913, one of the beetles emerged, and it was found to be a 
peculiar fungus-beetle, Byrsax macleayi. The rest of the fungus was then 
broken up and several specimens of the same species were obtained. They were 
all fully developed, although each individual was confined to its own cavity. A 
few, however, were rather soft and of a reddish brown colour, evidently only 
just having changed from the pupal state, but no pupa were seen. There was 
a quantity of excrement in the form of fine dust in each cavity containing a 
beetle. 
While extracting the beetles a fully developed specimen of a beetle (near, 
if not a Pylus) of the Clerida was obtained in one of the Byrsax cavities. As 
the fungus had been kept in a tin with a tightly fitting lid since it was obtained, 
it seems probable that the Clerid was predaceous upon the Byrsax larvae. And 
as the majority of species of the deride are known to be predaceous upon other 
insects, finding this specimen actually in the cavity formed by a Byrsax makes 
it almost certain that it does feed upon that species. 
Order NEUROPTEKA, Family ASCAPHALIDJE. 
Stilbopteryx costalis, Newman. — This remarkable insect, which is the 
largest representative of the family, occurs on Stradbroke Island, and may be 
captured in numbers in December, when one is acquainted with its habits. They 
appear on the wing at sunset and can be seen until it becomes too dark to 
distinguish anything. They fiy strongly about fifteen to twenty feet from the 
ground, just clearing the tops of the bushes and stunted trees, evidently catching 
other insects on the wing in the same manner as do the Odonata. This 
Ascaphalid, however, differs considerably in its method of flight from that of a 
Dragonfly. It does not attempt to swerve, or change its course suddenly, but 
continues very swiftly in a straight line. The best method to effect capture is 
to attach the net to a long stick, and when one is seen approaching to suddenly 
raise the net, holding it up in its line of flight. If the distance has been judged 
correctly, the insect will fly straight in, as it seems incapable of making a sudden 
*17 » " 
swerve. 
R. J. Tillyard (to whom we arc indebted for the identification of the above 
insect) informs me that it is widely distributed from Cape York to the Blue 
Mountains, and also in South-western Australia, and that it is very variable. 
He also says: “ This insect, together with a Brazilian species, form together 
the subfamily Protascalaphina, distinguished by their large size and short 
antenna. Some authors still regard them as Myrmelionidse, but the truth is that 
they are an archaic group standing near the base of the phylogenetic stem out of 
which both Asealaphids and Myrmelionids arose.” 
