352 



THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



THE SMALLER PINE BEETLE {MYELOPHILUS 

 MINOR, HART.) IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 



By Walter Ritchie, B.Sc, B.Sc (Agr.) Aberd., Fullerton 

 Scholar, University of Aberdeen. 



This species has been found in the north of Scotland, but 

 is looked upon as a rare one. It may be interesting therefore 



to record that in August 

 last, while making obser- 

 vations on bark - boring 

 beetles, I came upon 

 Myelophibis minor in con- 

 siderable numbers, and in 

 all stages of development, 

 in a Scots Pine wood about 

 three miles to the south- 

 east of Aboyne. The wood 

 was about thirty years 

 old, planted on gravelly 

 soil, morainic in character. 

 The trees were not in a very healthy condition ; Myelophilus 

 piniperda, L., was found at work on the same trees. 

 The two beetles 



a. "' a. 



Fig. I. — Apices of Elytra of M. miiioi-. 

 a, = 2nd interstice. 





ri^ 



Myelophilus minor 

 and Myelophilus pini- 

 perda are not unlike 

 one another, so that 

 it is easy to confuse 

 them. M. minor is 

 rather smaller and 

 less plump, but the 

 most reliable differen- 

 tiating character is 

 to be found by the 

 examination with a 

 lens of the hind end of the elytra. In M. minor the bristle- 

 bearing tubercles in the second interstice on each side of 



)! 





a,. 





Fig. 2. — Apices of Elytni of M, piniperda. 

 a, = 2nd intersticp. 



