Societies and Academies

Abstract

SYDNEY. Linnean Society of New South Wales, July 30.—Mr. J. J. Fletcher, president, in the chair.—Dr. R. J. Tillyard: Mesozoic insects of Queensland. No. 6: Blattoidea. The paper deals with eleven specimens from the Ipswich Trias, of which nine are named, being placed in three new genera belonging to the family Mesoblattinidæ, Handl. This family occurs from the Carboniferous onwards to the Jurassic, but reaches its dominant position in the Lias. One of the Ipswich genera, Triassoblatta, n.g., is more archaic than any of the known Liassic genera; while a second, Samaroblatta, n.g., shows close affinity with Mesoblattula, Handl., from the Lias of Dobbertin. The author deals with the venation of the cockroach tegmen, and shows the main lines of its evolution from the Carboniferous onwards. The Ipswich specimens, though none of them are absolutely complete, are, on the whole, very well preserved, so that details like intercalated veins, cross-venation, etc., can be easily made out if present. Most of the tegmina are of moderate size, about 13 mm. or 14 mm. long; but there is one species of Triassoblatta that is much larger. Keys are given for distinguishing the genera and species described, and each new species is figured in the text.—Dr. R. J. Tillyard: Studies in Australian Neuroptera. No. 8. Revision of the family Ithonidas, with descriptions of a new genus and two new species. The members of this family are stout-bodied, moth-like Lacewings, very distinct in their appearance, habits, and life-history from any other representatives of the order. Owing to the inadequacy of Newman's original description of Ithone fusca, much confusion has been caused, and two species that were not really even congeneric have been regarded as this species. The doubt as to which was Newman's species had to be cleared up by reference to the type in the British Museum. It was then found that Ithone, Newm., with one radial sector in forewing, is a monotypic genus, all the other species going either into Varnia, Walker, which McLachlan erroneously suppressed, or Heterithone, n.g. (type Ithone. fulva, Till.). Two new species of this latter genus are described, making in all a total of six species for the family. The genus Nespra, Navas, is suppressed, befng the same as Varnia, Walker. A description of the peculiar sand-plough of the female Ithonidas is given; the insect uses it to plough up the sand when ovipositing. A note is added describing the imaginal mouth-parts, and comparing them with those of the Psychopsidas. The full life-history of Ithone, which is very remarkable, the larva being a blind melolonthoid grub, is reserved for another paper.—Dr. A. J. Turner: Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. Part vi. (last instalment). In this paper fifty-nine species belonging to twenty-six genera (fam. Geometridae, subfam. Boarmianae) are dealt with, eighteen species and five genera being described as new.