FAMILY CERAMBYCIDAE 



345 



Protection and 

 Remedies. 



the damage is done to the tree, thus lasts from some eight to nine months, 

 unless there are two generations in the year, which appears improbable. 



This is the longicorn beetle whose white grubs have been reported to 



infest the casuarina in company with those of the moth 



Damage Committed ^^^ij^i^ tetraonis, which has proved such a scourge to the 



in the Forest. ^^^^^ ^^ December 1900 Mr. C. D. Thornton reported 



that the grubs "had nearly ruined the casuarina-trees in the Aminundi 



Plantation. . . . The grub is found in the cambium layer, under the bark 



of old trees, on which it feeds." Since then reports have come in from 



several quarters that longicorn insects, which have proved to be this pest, 



have committed serious damage in the plantations. 



In plantations the only method of getting rid of a bad attack is to cut 

 out and burn all badly infested trees. When this has 

 been done a few green trees should be felled just before 

 the appearance on the wing of the beetles. The 

 latter will oviposit in these trees in preference to green standing ones, and 

 about January the trees can be cut up and burnt. The trap trees should be 

 felled. some three weeks before the beetles will appear, 



PURPURISCENUS. 



The species known to attack trees were reported from Baluchistan and 

 the North-West Himalaya. 



Purpuriscenus haussknechti, Witte. 



References.— Witte, Berl. cut. Zeit. xv, p. 207 (1871); Purpuriscenus haussknechti, vRi-.aleppensis,VJitte, 

 I.e. p. 208 (S) ■ Gahan, F.B.I. Ceramb. i, no. 202, p. 186 (1906). 



Habitat.— Fort Sandeman, Baluchistan. Gahan in the Fauna gives 

 Kashmir; Punjab ; Turkestan. 



Tree Attacked.— Po^»/;/s ciliata (Baluchistan). 



Beetle. — 5 Black ; prothoiax with a red spot of variable size 

 on the middle of the disk, sometimes also with a red spot on each 

 side united by a red band with the discal 

 Description. spot ; elytra with a broad red band across 



the middle, widened from the suture to- 

 wards the outer margin and extended anteriorly to a greater or less 

 extent as a marginal band. Head closely and somewhat roughly 

 punctured ; the antennal supports raised and acute on the inner 

 side. Antennae longer than the body, with the last joint longer than 

 the penultimate and tapered towards the end. Prothorax closely, 

 strongly, and roughly punctate above ; a small median tubercle just 

 behind' centre of disk and a smaller one behind this on each side. 

 Elytra verv closely punctured, the punctures gradually smaller as 

 they recede from the base. {Desc-r. after Gahati.) Length, 12 mm. to 23 nmi. : breadth, 



4 mm. to 7 mm. 



$ Prothorax red above with a narrow edging of black on anterior and posterior 

 margins. Antennae shorter than body, elytra with the red band very broad, occupying two- 

 thirds of the basal portion save for a narrow black edging on basal margin ; apical third black. 

 Slightly smaller than some of the males. 



Fig. 233. 

 Purpuriscenus hauss- 

 knechti, Witte. 

 Baluchistan. 



