FAMILIES HISTERIDAE AND NITIDULIDAE 107 



Pakomalus. 

 Paromalus sp. nov. 



Reference.— Determined by Mr. Lewis as a new species of Paromalus at present undescribed. 



Habitat.— North-West Himalaya. 



Habits.— The insect is predaceous upon the conifer wood-borers Rhy^i- 

 cholns himalaycnsis and Hylastes himalaycmh of the spruce and blue pine. 

 This histerid is an active one, and is fairly common in the Western 

 Himalaya (p. 453). 



Paromalus sp. 



Reference.— At present undescribed. May be identical with Paromalus sp. nov. above. 



Habitat.— North-West Himalaya. 



Habits.— I found this insect in numbers beneath the bark of newly felled 

 and standing green Pinus longifolia trees at Jermola and elsewhere in 

 Jaunsar and Tehri Garhwal in October 1906. 



The histerid is predaceous upon the bark-borers Tomicus longifolia and 

 Polygraphus longifolia (p. 560). 



Family NITIDULIDAE. 



This is a family of small beetles, of which some species are commonly 

 met with in the forests beneath the bark of trees or feeding at the oozing 

 sap of the newly cut surfaces of stumps. 



The insects are of small size, flat, and brown or yellow-brown in colour. 



The antennae have a three-jointed club, all the coxae 



Beetle. are separated, and each has an external prolongation ; 



the tarsi are five-jointed, the fourth joint being the 



smallest ; the abdomen with five visible ventral segments, and the elytra 



very often truncate. The beetles resemble some forms of Staphylinidae and 



Histeridae. 



The larva in some forms is elongate, slightly curved, with a well- 

 marked head, dorsal shield to the prothorax, and three 

 Larva. pairs of jointed legs on the thoracic segments; the 



body segments taper posteriorly. 

 As a family the insects feed, perhaps, chiefly on sap, but also on decay- 

 ing vegetable and animal matter. The beetles are often found on or in 

 flowers and in dried fruits or seeds. They are also commonly found in the 

 tunnels of wood-borers in wood and bamboos, in the decaying fibres of 



bark, etc. 



The common beetle Carpophilus hemipterus has been found in many 



situations, as will be described. 



The family is probably of small economic importance in the forest. 



