134 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL.. (Ll Fes., 1902. 
p- 209, 1864) redescribed the male insect, but, whilst maintaining Fabricius’ name, 
suggested that the insect before him and that characterised by Guérin in 1838 were 
Sexual forms of a single species; a suggestion expressed in the words “an ne E. 
formoseemus” that he ventured to make use of. In Appendix No.1 to the “ Catalogus” 
cited, issued with it under the sole authorship of J. Sichel, there is an account of an 
insect derived from Balade and New Caledonia given that is regarded without 
question, as Elis (Dielis) formosus, Guérin, male. This has characters assigned to 
it that correspond to those ascribed to Scodia septemcincta, and that clearly establish 
their identity with the Queensland insect. ; 
_ , The association of two such distinct insects as sexual forms of a single species 
1s in keeping with what is found to obtain with other Hymenoptera embraced in the 
families related to Scoliadew, and hence their common title Heterogyna. In the 
instance under notice it has been justified in the course of breeding experiments and 
observations having reference to the manifestation of a special habit. - ; 
In agreement with the procedure followed by systematic writers in their accounts 
of the embers of other families of insects, Guérin’s name should be allowed to 
lapse in favour of that bestowed by Fabricius—i.e., septemcinetu. 4 
The Queensland examples of the female insect appear, however, to constantly 
differ from the New Caledonian ones of this sex in having— amongst other special 
features - the fringed hairs that form bands on the under surface of the hind-body 
white instead of fulvous, and may accordingly ultimately be found to be specifically 
distinct from them. In the event of this variation being constant, the name #. 
formosus might be retained for the insect endemic in the French colony. 
DIsTRIBUTION. 
Dielis formosus, Guérin, is an insect indigenous to Australia. It has a 
wide range of occurrence therein. This range extends from Tasmania to 
perhaps the northernmost limit of the continent. The parasite is, moreover, 
especially prevalent throughout the eastern seaboard. It does not, however, 
appear that its interesting life-history has been hitherto elucidated previous to 
the observations relating to its nature made on Mr. R. Blackwell’s Mulgrave River 
cane farm, in the Cairns district, by the writer as recently as the 4th August of 
the present year (1901).* 
Scozmapm or Retatep Hasirs. 
In other countries, however, members of the same hymenopterous family to 
which Wielis tormosus belongs have been shown to be parasites of the larve of 
scarabeid beetles. 
Passerinit during the years 1840-1 graphically described and depicted the mode 
in which Scola flavifrons attacks in Southern Europe the larva of Oryctes nascicornis, 
an insect allied to our Rhinoceros Beetle (O. barbarossa), entering deeply into the 
spent tan used in conservatories whereon the grub feeds for the purpose of c oing so. 
C. Coquerel{ subsequently gave an account of the services rendered by two 
Scoliade—viz., Scolia oryctophaga and S. carnifec—in destroying the large grubs of 
three different species of the same genus Oryctes that in Madagascar prove so 
harmful in coco-nut plantations. 
Again, D. Sharp§ has informed us that the author of the interesting Souvenirs 
Entomotogiques (1879), J. H. Fabre, has recently communicated to him the fact not 
only that the insect the object of Passerini’s observations attacks the larva of various 
sported of Cetonia beetles, that occur in rotten wood; but also that Scolia interrupta 
chooses as hosts for the nourishment of its young the grubs of two species of 
European chafers—dnowia wdlosa and A. matutinalis—i.e., beetles that are 
systematically allied to the principal depredator of sugar-cane in the Isis Serub 
district, the larva of a species of Rhopea. 
* The discovery was widely announced at the time at which and in the district in which it 
was made, as may be inferred from a report of an interview with the writer, held by the Cairns 
Chamber of Commerce, and described in Cairns Daily Argus of 14th August. Subsequent to the 
preparation of this paper intimation has been received of the interesting fact that the parasite 
was met with also by an officer of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (to whom the fact of the 
existence of an hymenopterous parasite of new cane grub had been early communicated) at its 
Hambledon plantation (Cairns) during the month of September. 
+ Osservazione sulle larve, nimfe, abitudini della Scolia flavifrons, Pisa, 1840, and Continua- 
zione delle osserv. nell’anno i841 sulle larve di Scolia flavifrons, Firenze, 1841 
~ Surles, mceurs des, Oryctes et sur deux especes de Scolia. Ann. de la Societé Entomo- 
logique de France, 3 ser. 1854. 
§ Cambridge Natural History, vol. vi. Insects II., p. 99. 
