210 FAMILY BUPRESTIDAE 



The beetle appears on the wing about April or May, or even as late as 

 June, and lays her eggs on the bark of newly felled trees, or in the thick 

 portions of the tops of the trees felled during the latter part of the cold 

 weather, or in standing sickly trees. The grubs feed in the bast, eating out 

 rather broad, shallow, and very winding galleries in the bast and sapwood. 

 When full-fed the}' eat out small elliptical pupating-chambers, usually in the 

 sapwood, but in the case of old, thick, hard-barked trees, the pupating- 

 chamber may be in the bark. The larva changes to a pupa in this 

 chamber. I have not yet ascertained how long is spent in the larval stage 

 by this grub, nor whether the beetle passes through two generations in 

 the year. 



Sphenoptera indica, Cast, et Gory. 



Reference. — Cast, et Gory, Mon. Bupi-. ii, 37, pi. 10, fig. 57 (1839). 



Habitat. — Dehra Dun, Northern India. Also reported from Belgaum 

 (xAndrewes) ; Kanara (Bell) ; Barway, Mandar, Konbir, Tetra (P. Cardon) ; 

 Pegu. 



Tree Attacked.— /^J^o-o/^^n? pulchcUa. Dehra Dun. 



Beetle. — Elongate, cuneiform. Brilliant bronze, lighter on thorax than on elytra ; latter 

 somewhat dull at tips ; under-surlace brilliant purple mingled with blue and green, especially 

 on abdominal segments ; antennae and tarsi black. Head punctate- 

 Description, rugose, vertex channelled. Prothorax nearly square, scarcely as wide 

 as long, irregularly punctate, punctures denser and more regular 

 laterally ; disk with a median longitudinal channel. Elytra nearly three times length of 

 thorax, constricted regularly to apex ; latter slightly spined and slightly channelled along 

 suture ; a longitudinal series of punctures. Under-surface rugose-punctate. Length, 10 mm. to 

 12 mm. ; breadth, 3 mm. to 3.5 mm. 



I took a specimen of this buprestid on Indigofcra pulchclla at Jhajera, 

 in the Dehra Dun, on 6 January 1907. I know nothing further about the 

 beetle. 



Sub-family BUPRESTINAE. 



Antennal pores concentrated in a pit on each joint, the pit being 

 situated either at the bottom or top of the joint ; antennal cavities variable ; 

 scutellem variable ; posterior coxae distinctly dilated on the inner side. 



The sub-family is divided into three divisions, all containing repre- 

 sentatives of forest importance : 



1. Diccritcs. — Eyes oblique; antennal pores in pits placed at base of 

 joints ; metasternal epimera completely exposed. (Lainpra.) 



2. Btiprestites. — Differs from Dicerites in having eyes parallel. [Buprestis 

 {Ancylocheira) \ 



3. Anthaxiies. — Antennal pores in pits placed at top of joints. Meta- 

 sternal epimera partly covered by the lateral prolongation of the abdomen. 

 {Anthaxia.) 



