Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cribed species of Arachnobas, a curious genus of weevils peculiar to the Moluccas and New
Guinea, and remarkable for their long legs, and their habit of often sitting on leaves, and
turning rapidly round the edge to the under-surface when disturbed. It was found in Gilolo.
Moluccan beetles
Like the birds, the insects of the Moluccas show a decided affinity with those of New
Guinea rather than with the productions of the great western islands of the Archipelago, but
the difference in form and structure between the productions of the east and west is not
nearly so marked here as in birds. This is probably due to the more immediate dependence
of insects on climate and vegetation, and the greater facilities for their distribution in the
varied stages of egg, pupa, and perfect insect. This has led to a general uniformity in the
insect-life of the whole Archipelago, in accordance with the general uniformity of its cli-
mate and vegetation; while on the other hand the great susceptibility of the insect organiza-
