Genus Eburilla Aurivillius

Eburilla sericea (White) (Figs. 17–19).

Mature Larva. Form elongate, slender, body tapering posteriorly. Colour white. Integument thin, beset with minute spinules. Body setae slender and light coloured. Length, 11 mm.

Head (Fig. 17) transverse, sides diverging posteriorly to mid-length, thence sub-parallel, widest posteriorly. Mandible short, stout, trapezoidal. Labrum sub-circular, unpigmented, with sparse setae. Maxillary palpi 3-jointed, palpifer and 1st joint with minute processes, third joint as long as second joint of labial palp. Epistoma not emarginate in the middle. Frontal sutures not evident, median line present. Ocelli absent. Genae not shouldered, with dense moderately stout setae. Hypostoma without setae.

Thorax. Pronotum not twice as wide as long. Notal spots and alar plates pale yellow. Anterior half of pronotum setose, posterior half glabrous except for a few setae along the posterior margin. Post-notal fold absent. Metanotum without X-shaped lines. Presternum setose, fused with epipleurum. Eusternum (Fig. 18) with a transverse smooth glabrous plate posteriorly. In the median line at the anterior margin of this plate is a slightly rugose pigmented area. Legs vestigial, reduced to small tubercles bearing four small setae.

Abdomen. Pleural discs not evident. Ampullae not prominent, finely granulate. The ventral ampulla on the 7th abdominal segment has a well defined fold at the anterior margin Spiracles sub-circular. Sclerotized thickening of intima of hind-intestine present (Fig. 19).

Larvae were taken from the dead branches of Thuya plicata at Rotorua in early March, and adults emerged a month later. The larvae burrow between bark and wood, but enter the wood to pupate. The ichneumonid parasite Mesostenus albopictus Smith was taken from the larval burrows.