584 



FAMILY IV. SCOLYTIDJE. 



light, July. Enterprise, Marco and Key West, Fin., at light in 

 November. Cypress Mills, Tex., September. Lives mainly on 

 the hard-woods, oaks, maple, beech, etc. Ranges throughout the 

 southern United States, north to Delaware Bay and Illinois, 

 flubbard (1897) states that they are powerful excavators, driv- 

 ing their galleries deep into the heart wood of large trees. The 

 females produce 100 to 200 eggs, which they deposit in clusters 

 of 10 or 12, loosely in the galleries. The young require five or 

 six weeks for their development, wandering freely about in the 

 passages and feeding on the ambrosia which grows here and 

 there on the walls, the conidia of which are borne in clusters on 

 branching sterns. The older portions of the galleries are black- 

 ened by this food fungus. The older larva? assist in excavating 

 the galleries but do not eat or swallow the wood ; they are alert 

 and active and show evident regard for the eggs and very tender 

 young. When they are full grown they excavate a cell in which 

 they pupate. The female is frequently accompanied by several 

 males and fierce sexual battles take place. The species of Platy- 

 pus are not confined to any particular kind of timber, but do not 

 attack trees in health. Their galleries are however so extensive 

 in dying trees that the sooner such are cut down the better if the 

 timber is to be saved even for fire wood. 



In addition to the species included in the synopsis, P. punctulatus 

 Chap, has been found issuing from mahogany logs at Brooklyn, N. Y. 

 (Felt.) 



ABCDEFG H I 



Fig. 139. Tarsi and tibke of genera or. Scoiycid;L-. A, Tarsus of L ryphajus ; B, 



of Ips; C, of Cortliylus; D, of Micracis; V.., of Cryptiirgus; F, of Plilccotribns: G, 



of Hylesinus; H, of Heracolns; I, of Bothrosternus; J, tibia of Camptocents; K, 



of Scolytus; L, of Platypus. (After Hopkins.) 



Subfamily II. SCOLYTIN^.* 



Anterior tarsi with joint 1 shorter than 2, 3 and 4 united; 

 anterior tibiae with prominent process on outer apical angle. 

 The subfamily is divided into six tribes, of which four occur in 

 the Eastern United States. As nearly all are represented by a 

 single species, the classification to genera is here given at once 

 for brevitv. 



*Eccopiogastcrn\a of some authors. 



