474 



FAMILY SCOLYTIDAE 



Relations to the 

 Forest. 



Parasitic and 

 Predaceous Insects. 



into the wood. It is not improbable that the Inrst portion of the tunnel as 

 far as the pairing spot inside the tree is the work of the male beetle, the 

 female continuing the tunnel into the heart-wood after fertilization. In 

 pairing the male mounts on to the back of the female. 



An autumn generation appears in September-October. 



The beetle is apparently a wood-borer only, and enters the tree when it 

 is dying or nearly dead. So far as present observations 

 go, it does not infest dead or dry trees, as it requires 

 that there shall be a certain amount of sap in the wood 

 for its grubs to feed on. I have taken the insect in considerable numbers in 

 girdled and nearly dead blue-pine trees in Jaunsar. The beetle is very often 

 found associated with Rhyncholus hinialayensis of the blue pine and spruce. 

 It tunnels deeper down into the tree than the latter insect. 



Ichneumon sp.— This Ichneumon is parasitic on the Hylastcs, and 

 perhaps also on Rhyncholus hinialayensis. 



Flv. — A black, shining, delicate By, with a veiy long 



ovipositor, longer than the insect itself. Antennae of medium 



length ; wings longer than the body, 



with a stigma on outer edge of upper 



wing. Legs reddish. Length, 6 mm.; 



ovipositor, 9 mm. ; expanse of wings, 12.3 mm. 



I cut out a specimen of the Ichneumon from 

 the bottom of a long egg-tunnel of this Hylastcs 

 in a dead blue-pine in Jaunsar. The fly was 

 mature, and was taken on 5 May 1902. The 

 wood of the tree was riddled with the tunnels 

 of this insect and with those of RliyncJioliis hinia- 

 layensis. The Ichneumon grub had evidently fed 

 parasitically on one or more of the hylastid ones. 

 This is the only occasion on which I have taken 

 this parasite. 



Platysomarimae, Lewis (p. 105). — This histerid 

 is predaceous upon the hylastid. The insect is 

 described on p. 576. 



Paromalus sp. nov. — This insect, already described as predaceous upon 

 Rhyncholus hiinalayoisis {p. 453), also attacks and is found commonly with 

 this hylastid. 



Hylastes longifolia, Stebbing. 



KicKEKENCK. — Stebbiiig, Ind. For. Mem. Zool. Ser. i, pt. ii, 3. 



Habitat— N.W. Himalaya. 



Tree Attacked. — Chir Pine {Finns longifolia). Tons Valley, Jaunsar ; 

 Kumaun ; Ra\i \^alley, Chamba, 



Fu;. 312 - Ichneumon sp. 

 ( X 3), parasitic upon Hylastt-x 

 Jii>!ialayt'iisis,St.tb., and Rliyii- 

 ckoli/s liimalayeusis, Stel). 

 North-West Himalaya. 



