HYLASTES CUNICULAKIUS, EK. 275 



HYLASTES CUNICULARIUS, ER, AND ITS 

 RELATION TO THE FOREST. 



By James W. Munro, B.Sc. (Agr.), B.Sc. (For.). 



Introductory. 



Three members of the genus Hylastes, Er., may be said to 

 be of economic importance in our Scottish woodlands, 

 namely, H. ater, Pk., //. /<'z//m///j', Gyll., and H. cuniciilarius, 

 Er. The first two species have for long been known as two 

 of our commonest bark beetles. H. ciinicularius, on the other 

 hand, has hitherto been overlooked, probably owing to its 

 close resemblance to H. ater. 



Of the habits and life-histories of all three species our 

 knowledge is scanty, and is largely derived from the German 

 literature. Owing to the fact, however, that our Scottish 

 forest conditions are markedly different from those prevailing 

 on the Continent, it is essential that we should study our 

 forest insects afresh from that aspect. The following paper 

 is a short account of observations on Hylastcs aminilarius 

 made in the field under forest conditions that are, unfortun- 

 ately, all too prevalent in Scotland. 



Material. 



The material for the comparison of cunicularius with its 

 congeners is based, partly on specimens taken at Skene, 

 Aberdeenshire, in 1914, and partly on specimens collected 

 on Darnhall Estate, Peeblesshire, during 191 5-16. These 

 specimens have been submitted to the British Museum, and 

 the identity of the species has been confirmed there. 



The materials for the illustration of the life-history and 

 of the injuries caused to young plantations by H. auiiculaiHus 

 were obtained on Darnhall. 



The Adult. 



As I hope, in a later paper, to deal with the genus 

 Hylastes more fully than is possible here, I can best describe 

 59 2 H 



