100 FAMILY STAPH YLINIDAE 



which live under the bark of trees, feeding upon the sap or decaying matter. 

 It is probable that some of the staphylinids found in trees also feed chiefly 

 on decaying matter. The few species I have been 

 able to observe appeared, however, to be predaceous 

 in character. 



Many of the forms living under the bark of trees 

 have a general resemblance either to the common 

 staphylinid found in country lanes in England, the 

 "devil's coach-horse," or to some of the commoner 

 histerids found- beneath the bark of trees. Species 

 of both these types are to be found in coniferous 

 trees preying upon scolytid larvae in the Western 

 Himalaya; whilst a third, resembling the histerid 

 type, but with a more elongate abdomen, giving the 

 insect a torpedo-shaped appearance, is to be found blue ^il"^f 6^''' NAV." 

 beneath the bark of trees. Himalaya. 



Amongst the trees from which I have taken these small forms of 

 staphylinid beetles may be mentioned the deodar, blue pine, spruce, long- 

 leaved pine, and the Quercus incana, in the Western Himalaya ; Bamhusa 

 polyinorpha, Millctia brandisiana, Garntga pinnata, and pyinkadu, in Tharra- 

 waddy ; teak, Monis laevigata, Schiina noronhae, and Eugenia grandis, in 

 Katha in Upper Burma ; Honialium tomentosum and Miluisa velutina in 

 Tenasserim ; in Assam, Ficiis elastica, various species of trees in the 

 Evergreen Forests in North Darrang, Piniis khasya in Shillong, and sal in 

 Goalpara ; and in the sal in the Mandla forests in the Central Provinces, 

 where the staphylinid appeared to be feeding upon the wood-borer Sinoxy- 

 lon crassujn, and perhaps on H ectarthnim heros, which is predaceous upon 

 the borer here. 



Holosus ? sp. 

 Habitat.— North -West Himalaya. 



Habits. — This small, elongate, shining-black staphylinid is predaceous 



upon the smaller bark-boring scolytids of the blue-pine in Jaunsar. It 



attacks Polygraphus pirn, Stebbing, Crypturgus piisillus, and, I think, 



Pityogenes coniferae, Stebbing, and possibly the grubs of Tomicus ribhcn- 



V / •- ^^ tropi, Stebbing. I have also taken it from spruce 



and deodar. 



Leucocraspedum ? sp. 



Habitat. — North-West Himalaya. 



^"'''■- 65- Habits. — This small, oval, elongate, black, 



Leucocraspc- Holosus i-- i.ui--j-f ir-i i- 



diim'fiv,. ? SD snuiing staphylmid is round rairly commonly m 



N.W. Himalaya. (E.P.S.) felled and girdled blue-pine infested with the 



