204 FAMILY BUPRESTIDAE 



winter is passed in the larval tunnel in the tree either as a larva or pupa. 

 The grub cuts out long, rather shallow, broad, irregular galleries in the bast 

 and sapwood of the tree, thus destroying the cambium layer. The pupal 

 stage and resting period of the beetle is from six weeks to two months. 



It is perhaps still doubtful whether the insect lays its eggs (they are 

 laid on the bark or at wounds on the tree) in the plane-tree, save sporadically 

 when there are no poplars near. Owing to its abundance it is capable of 

 proving a serious pest in a country like Baluchistan, where it is customary 

 to grow the species of tree it infests in masses or clumps together. 



The remedial measures given for the Quetta borer on p. 315 will serve 

 equally to get rid of this pest. 



Sub-family SPHENOPTERINAE. 



Antennal pores concentrated in a terminal pit ; posterior coxae nearly con- 

 tiguous, dilated on outer edge, truncate exteriorly, their anterior margin nearly 

 straight, posterior oblique ; scutellum wide, most often acuminate behind ; 

 clypeus large, triangular; antennal cavities large, triangular, and terminal. 



Only one genus of this sub-family is at present known in India. It 

 contains, however, a very large number of species. 



Sphenoptera. 

 Sphenoptera aterrima, sp. nov. Kerremans. 

 Habitat. — Simla Catchment Area Forests; Bashahr ; Jaunsar ; prob- 

 ably throughout Deodar Forests of Western Himalaya. 



Tree Attacked. — Deodar (Ccdrns dcodara). Simla, Jaunsar, Himalaya. 



The following is M. Kerremans' description of this species, which proves 



new to science : — 



Sphenoptera aterrima, nov. sp. 



Long. 1 1 ; larg. 4 mm. 



Sudcnmld, plana, antice posticcque attenuata, supra nigerrima, nitidissima, capite 

 antice citpresccnsj pronoto vix piinctato ; sciitello transversim carinato; elytris parum 

 costulatis, inierstitiis alternatim elevatis, apice valde trideiita/is j subliis nigro-aeneay 

 nitidissimaj proslerno profunde canaliciilato, seomoito primo sulcata 



Ovalaire, peu convexe, attenuc en avant et en arriere avec la dent externa des ^lytres 

 saillante en dehors, d'un noir vernisse intense et tres brillant en dessus ; dessous plus clair,. 

 plus bronze, tout aussi brillant ; la partie anterieure du front cuivreuse. 



Appartient au j^roupe des Sphenoptera ayant I'ecusson carene [Tropeopeltis Jakiuoh.). 



Tcte assez fortcment ponctuee, k points tres rapproches, transversalement impressionnee 

 en avant ; le vertex sillonne. Antennes courtes et greles k troisieme article plus long que le 

 deuxieme et plus court que le quatrienie. Pronotum plus large que long, bisinue en avant 

 et en arriere, arque sur les cotes, sans strie marginale ante'rieures ; la carene laterale sinueuse 

 et enticre ; la surface tres finement ponctuee, les points tres espaces. £cusson carene trans- 

 versalement. Elytres peu convexes, sinues sur les cotes avec la dent externe saillante en dehors ; 

 le calus humeral saillant et lisse ; la surface finement et inegalement ponctuee h. stries fines et 

 peu profondes ; les interstries alternalivement saillants et aplanis, ces derniers plus larges que 

 les autres. Dessous finement pointille ; prosternum profondement canalicule ; milieu du 

 premier segment abdominal sillonne, cotes des segments abdominaux impressionnes, sans 

 reliefs lisses. Pattes mediocres ; les tarses posterieurs greles et aussi longs que les tibias. 



Hab. — Simla (Stebbing). 



