The "Aweto."

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 6 December 1890, Page 2

The "Aweto."

— • . 'lhe fo'lowing interesting account pf this half caterpillar half vegetable insect we take from the London Graphic, and we may mention that Aye possess a specimen should anyone be dosirous of inspecting it. The oddest insect in existence— so odd, that unless it were vouched for and explained scientifically would be considered aiioax— is the aweto. It is not easy to decide whether it ought to be classed under the fauna or flora of New Zei land, for it is as much vegetable ns animal, and, in its final stage, it is a vegetable and nothing else. This is the vegetable caterpillar, called by naturalists Hipialis Virescens. It is a perfect caterpillar, and a fine one also, growing to three and a half inches. Until it is full grown ifc conducts itself very much iike any other insect except that it is never found anywhere hut in the neighbourhood of the Rata tree, a large scarlet flowered myrtle, and that it habitually buries itself a few inches under ground. Then, when the Aweto is fully grown it undergoes a wonderful change. For some inexplicable reason, the spore of a vegetable fungus, tho Sphoeria Robertsii fixes itself d'.ectly ou its neck, takes root, and grows, like a diminutive bulrush, from six to ten inches high withou*. leaves and with a dark brown head. This stem penetrates tho earth over the caterpillar and stands up a few inches 1 above the ground. The roots grow siiniltan-eously into tho bod}' of the caterpillar, which it exactly fills in every part, without altering its form ; in iho slightest degree, hut simply substituting a vegetable substance for an animal substance. As soon as \ this process is completed, both the caterpillar and fungus die, and become dry and hard, but without shrivelling at all The thing is then ; a wooden caterpillar, so to say, with ' a wooden bulrush standing up from ' its neck. Papier mache, perhaps } wonld better describe ifc than wood. It can be taken out of the ground en- ' tire, and preserved for any time 1 Where the Aweto is found, many ' specimens can be obtained. It is a light green when alive, and the 1 Maories o't it in its soft state, when " ifc resembles marrow. When dry they powder it for use as a flesh dye ' in tattooing. It is certnin that the 1 caterpillar and fungus were made for each other.as tho I/ip/a is Virescenm is nover found without the Sphoeria ' Robcrtsii growing out of it, and ' Sphoeria Jxobertsii is never found J without this caterpillar attached to 1 it. i