130 FAMILY BOSTRYCHIDAE 



Beetle. — Brown, with a reddish tinge at base of elytra. Front of head and funiculus 

 without long erect hairs. Antennae ten-jointed, second joint of club less than one and a half 



times as wide as long. Prothorax evenly round in front, widened 

 Description. near base, its sides not parallel ; the lateral suture joined in 



front with the marginal teeth of the rasp-like anterior surface; 

 these teeth being small, almost contiguous, rounded, the two centre ones the largest. 

 Posterior part densely punctate, strongest so medianly, the median foveoles being absent. 

 Elytra slightly widened behind, more than twice as long as prothorax ; deeply punctate, the 

 punctures not coalescing in the dorsal region, but coalescing on the elytral declivity ; suture of 

 the declivity not gaping. Erect hairs' on elytra very short. Length, 3.5 mm. 



The beetle appears on the wing about the first week in May, and 

 oviposits in the smaller branches and twigs of the 



Life History. mango-tree. It infests only dying and dead wood. 



Both sexes are to be found in the twigs at this season, 

 the beetles having entered the branch by the same entrance-hole. This 

 entrance-tunnel is bored vertically down to the centre of the branch, and the 

 egg-gallery is then taken up the branch approximately at right angles to the 

 former direction. This egg-gallery curves slightly, both male and female 

 beetles helping in its preparation. Two beetles are usually to be found in 

 it at work. Several pairs of beetles attack the same branch or twig, three 

 couples being cut from a small twig on 11 May 1902. The larvae on 

 hatching from the eggs feed on the wood of the branch, completely 

 riddling it. 



The result of this attack, when the insects are numerous, is that the 

 smaller branches and twigs of the tree are killed and drop off, thus heavily 

 pruning the crown. When such an attack is noted, all infested branches 

 should be cut off below the point at which they are attacked by the insects, 

 and burnt. 



Dinoderus pilifrons, Lesne. 



{The Bamboo Shot-borer Beetle.) 



References. — Lesne, Ann. Soc, Ent. Fr. p. 170 (1895); Dinoderus sp. Ind. Miis. Notes, vols, i and iv ; 

 Stebbing, Depart. Notes, i, p. 168; Ind. Mus. Notes, vi, p. 21 (1903). 



Habitat. — Dehra Dun, Belgaum, Calcutta. 



Tree Attacked. — Bamboo {Dendrocalanius strictus). Siwaliks, Dehra 

 Dun. Wood of various kinds in Calcutta. 



Beetle.— Reddish brown, the appendages and lateral edges of the 

 abdomen lighter-coloured. Front, clypeal region, and inner margin of 



eye fringed with long light red stiiif hairs, as 

 Description. is funiculus. Antennae ten-jointed ; second 



joint of club rounded on inner edge. Pro- 

 thorax rasp-like anteriorly, the anterior margin with eight to ten more 

 or less sharp teeth, of which the two middle ones are largest. Posterior 

 surface finely punctate ; median foveoles obsolete. Basal portion of 

 elytra finely punctate, punctures more marked on elytral declivity. y . o 



Suture slightly gaping and keeled on declivity. Length, 3.33 mm. Di„oderus piUfrotis, 

 to 3.75 mm. Lesne. North India! 



