THE GIRAFFE BEETLE 
41 
being almost entirely of a dark brown colour. (See 
illustration, p. 13.) 
POOD—The nectar of insignificant flowers and 
of- flowers which have an unpleasant smell, e.g., 
flowers of the ivy and of some of the hedge shrubs. 
Bees do not visit these, and so they depend chiefly 
upon these flies for their pollination. 
NOTES—They are more rapid in flight than the 
bees, but their “hum” is not so loud. They are 
also useful in the larva stage, as the grubs devour 
aphides, especially those which destroy bean plants 
(the black aphis). 
THE GIRAFFE BEETLE 
This is one of Nature’s strange-looking creatures 
and a glance at its neck, as represented in the 
illustration on p. 30, will show the appropriate 
significance of its name. From being somewhat 
rare ten years ago—and at that time rarely seen 
away from the thick bush country—it has gradually 
become fairly common. This is probably due to its 
liking for the tender young leaves of the silver 
birch tree, and the fact that this tree has become 
increasingly popular for planting near boundary 
fences and also for other decorative purposes. The 
beetle frequently lays its eggs under the bark of 
the silver birch, placing them in this position by 
means of its strong ovipositor. 
