FAMILY BUPRESTIDAE 2og 



Sphenoptera la fertii, Thomson, 



Reference. — Thorns. Typ. Bupr. 65 (1878). 



Habitat. — Chamba, North-West Himalaya. Also reported from North- 

 West Himalaya, Moradabad. 



Tree Attacked.— Deodar (Ccdrus dcodava). Kalatope, Chamba, 

 Beetle. — Elongate, constricted at apex. Blackish bronze ; head and thorax with a 

 coppery punctation. Under-surface brilliant coppery, middle of sternal region metallic 

 green ; legs coppery ; antennae and tarsi black. Head flat, punctate. 

 Description. Prothorax with a smooth, sinuate, lateral carina and a very short 



longitudinal furrow on disk ; irregularly and densely punctate, bottom 

 of punctures coppery. Elytra three and a quarter times as long as thorax, widened at 

 extremities owing to the outermost spine projecting outwards ; median spine wide, its tip 

 incurved towards the suture, sutural spine very short and sharp ; deeply striate-punctate, the 

 intervals between striae finely pitted and raised, resembling costae, of which three are more 

 prominent towards apex, being projected into the spines. Under-surface and legs rugose- 

 punctate ; the two first abdominal segments with a wide median channel ; anterior and 

 median tibiae strongly recurved in male, nearly straight in female. Length, 10 mm. ; 

 breadth, 3.25 mm. 



I took an individual of this species on the bark of a large standing 



green deodar-tree at Kalatope, Chamba, on 24 May igog. 



Life History. It is possible that the species infests the tree in 



company with S. aterrima. It is far less common, 



however, so far as present observations go. 



Sphenoptera cupriventris, Kerremans. 



Reference. — Kerrem. C. r. Soc. Ent. Belg. xxxiv, 203 (1890). 



Habitat. — Kanara and Belgaum ; Bengal, Konbir, Mandar, Barway 

 (P. Cardon). 



Trees Attacked. — Anogeissus latifolia : Bengal. Taken in trees (spp. ?) 

 in felling areas in Kanara and Belgaum (Andrewes). 



Beetle. — Very convex above, flat beneath. A dull bronze, with violet or coppery 

 reflexions ; brilliant coppery beneath, the sternal region greenish, sides of abdomen violet ; 

 antennae and tarsi black. Head bituberculate between the eyes, 

 Description. slightly channelled on vertex. Prothorax finely and irregularly 



punctate ; punctures densest on sides. Elytra very convex, the 

 humeral calus smooth and prominent ; weakly punctate-striate ; an elevate, slightly curved 

 costa on apical third of elytra, whose prolongation forms the median spine, which is large 

 and broad, the lateral one not being prominent and the sutural one scarcely visible. Abdo- 

 minal segment channelled medianly. Length, 13 mm. to 15 mm. ; breadth, 2.5 mm. to 4.5 mm. 



Larva. — Yellowish white, with stout black mandibles. Prothoracic segment broader than 

 any of the segments behind it. 



I have taken this insect infesting Anogeissus latifolia in Bengal, and 



Mr. Andrewes has reported that it is very common in 



Life History. Belgaum and Kanara, where it is often taken in areas 



felled over the preceding year in which the felled trees 



are still lying. No mention is made of the species of tree in which he found it. 



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