FAMILY CERAMBYCIDAE 



301 



iliOLESTHES. 



The beetles of this genus are easily distinguishable by the silvery or 

 golden reflexions on their elytra. The ge.uis is of considerable importance 

 in the forest. 



iEolesthes holosericea, Fabr. 



{The United Provinces Sal Longicorn.) 



REFERENCES.-Fabr. {Ccyambvx), Mant. Ins. i, p. 135 (-VS?) ; Pachydissus vehdinus. Thorns. Syst. 

 Ceramh p 576 (1865); Pachydissus similis, Gahan, A.M.N.H. (6) v, p. 52 (1890); Neocerambyx 

 holosen'ceus. Cotes, Ind. Mus. Notes, i, no. 2, pp. 60 and 89, pl. 5, fig- 3 (1889) I Thompson, Rep. Ins. 

 Injur. Woods and Forests, p. 24 (1867) ; Gahan, F.B.I. Ceramb. no. 124, p. 127 (1906). 



Habitat.— United Provinces and Oudh Sal Belt ; Hyderabad ; Central 

 Provinces; Dehra Ismail Khan; Ganjam. Gahan gives the habitat as 

 North-West India, Bombay, Nilgiris, Ceylon, Assam, Tenasserim, Andaman 

 and Nicobar Islands; Siam ; Malay Peninsula. 



Trees Attacked.— Sal {Shorea robusta) : United Provinces and Oudh Sal 

 Belt ; Tcrminalia fomcniosa : United Provinces and Oudh ; Hardwickia binata : 

 Oudh and Central Provinces; Chloroxylon swietenia : Hyderabad; Tamarix 

 articulata and Acacia avabica : Dehra Ismail Khan ; Guava : Bengal (Lefroy) ; 

 Mango {Mangifera indica) : Chicacole, Ganjam, Madras. 



>«^^j3.— The statements in Indian ^luseum Notes* that the insect infests 

 the teak in the Kulsi plantations, Assam, and Shorea assamica in Assam, 

 require confirmation. The note in question does not state that the 

 beetles of this species were actually taken from the trees. 



Beetle.- Dark brown or reddish brown, densely covered with 

 a greyish or golden brown pubescence which has a remarkable 

 satiny sheen as the elytra of the beetle are 

 Description. presented in difteient positions to the light, 



giving them the appearance of being 

 coated in silk. This easily distinguishes it from both Ploccederus 

 obcsiis and Hoploceravibyx sfiinicornis, 

 with which forest officers are liable to 

 confuse it. The head has a straight or 

 very feebly bisinuate furrow beneath be- 

 tween the cheeks, this distinguishing it 

 from .-E. indiita. The prothorax is 

 rounded at sides and irregularly wrinkled 

 I above, with a smooth space on disk. 

 Length, 20 mm. to 35 mm. ; lireadth, 

 5 J mm. to 10 mm. 



Larva. -White in colour, almost cylindrical, constricting 

 slightly to extremity, corrugated ; the head is browai, with black 

 mandibles ; prothorax with a brown hard plate on the dorsal 

 surface. 



Fic. 208. 



^■Eolesth es h loser icea^ 



Fabr. $. \. India. 



Fk;. 209. 



ALolesthcs holosericea., 



Fabr. (?. i. 



Pupa.— White, of usual ceramb} cid shape. 



* Vol. ii, pp. 11-12. 



