±2 
This beetle seem to be a very voracious eater and shews a par- 
ticular liking for the young leaves which are still yellowish-green 
or even for those that are yet bronze txdou red. They eat away the 
whole of the leaf, leaving nothing bu* the stem which rapidly dries 
up and easily break oft in the haiyck By this means they quickly 
render a free devoid of young leaves. 
I have only as yet found s/o'nie half a dozen trees attacked by 
these beetles, but from these trees I must have caught at least 150 
specimens in the course of half an hour. The grubs of these 
beetles I have not yet discovered. 
If you could give me any information about these beetles, I 
should be very much obliged to you if you would give it either bv 
letter, or, if the beetles are not recognised as “pests" in this 
country, through the medium of the “ Bulletin . ” 
I am, yours faithfully, 
ROGER PEARS. 
A CASTOR-OIL PEST. 
Op h i usa Melicerte. 
Recently a castor-oil bush in the Gardens was found to be quite 
devoured by Caterpillars, which although few in number had left 
but few fragments of leaves on the plant. The caterpillars which 
were nearly all full grown 011 November 2, were smooth half-Ioopers 
2;} inches long. The head was mottled with black and white with a 
large eye like white patch on each side. The body rather slender was 
finely mottled dark blue grey, or blue, or white black grey and 
brown ; a broad black central band ran down the back and there were 
a row of velvety black spots above the brown spiracles, and a red 
brown band below them, the belly was reddish with disLant black 
blotches, in some examples the whole body was mottled blue. The 
legs were reddish or white blotched, towards the tail on the back is 
a short horn like process emarginate at the top and black tipped 
with red. 
The caterpillars were indeed very variable in colour, they were 
very active springing to the ground when disturbed and hiding in 
the grass. The following day some had spun up in the leaves of the 
plant. The chrysalis was 1 4 inch long, thick and covered with 
a bluish bloom. The first moth appeared on November 14th others 
two or three days later so that they remained about 10 days in the 
pupal state. The moths were two inches across the wings, the 
antennae slender, head and thorax umber brown, the body grey. 
The upper wings dark umber brown, with a rather darker bar to- 
wards the tip, and a transverse silvery grey streak towards the 
base with a broader band behind it, the lower wings velvety black 
with a transverse silver white bar and four white spots on the edge, 
on the other side the wings are dark and light gray with a central 
