24 
CRYPTOL^MUS MONTROUZIERI. 
is being occupied by a species of coccus — or cochineal insect— 
with which the trees are badly infested. This coccus (named 
Dactylopius auricariae) will be recognised on the under surfeces 
of the leaves as presenting the appearance of small grains of 
sulphur, for so it appears in its early condition of life. And on 
the stems themselves, often heaped together in vast numbers, 
will be found small tumid black bodies with a raised yellow central 
dorsal stripe, a similarly coloured one on either side, and a massive 
mauve-coloured heap at one extremity. These bodies, which 
are examples of the adult coccus, are easily injured, and 
then stain any body which may come in contact with them 8 
decided purple. The mauve-coloured heap referred to is the 
ovisac and its contents. In fact the relationship w'hich subsists 
between the beetle and the white grub on the one hand and the 
Dactylopius auricariee on the other, is that of a carnivorous insect 
and its prey. The discovery of this interesting connection to 
published by me in July, 1889, in my report on ** Insect and 
Fungus Pests ’■ (page 16), when dealing with the discrimination 
between friends and foes amongst insects, being made known in 
these words : “ It is, however, for destroying our scale insects 
that the Coccinellidse (ladybirds) are here most highly useful. 
To mention but a single instance, that of a smaU black beetle, 
reddened at each extremity, belonging to the group Scymnites 
and named Cryptol^mus. The larva of this is a small actm 
grub, measuring m length, covered above with six rows of 
contiguous, elongated, white mealy, secreted appendages. Quite 
n • u bunyas and other auricaraceous trees growing 
about Brisbane have been infested by a coccus insect-ai 
tail StbT™'’ T 
«s it flour bad been dusted 1*“™^ 
Both in its adult an.! i . . i and there upon them. 
ooccid insects, and as T ra“l° a™ ‘‘l 
^-uetion. This .iendi, intt S"bertbrlt. 
