FAMILY SCOLYTIDAE 533 



beetle would seem to prefer dvin- or sickly trees for its operations, and it 

 was noticed in some abundance in portions of a forest which had been 

 overrun by fire the previous season. The tops of many young saplings were 

 mfested with the small Cryphalns and less numerously with this one. 

 Lower down, however, the larger one was much more numerous, many of 

 the stems being entirely riddled by the beetles. 



The beetle, since it is, as far as present observations go, invariably 

 accompanied by Cryphalus longifolia, and often by Polygraplms longifolia as 

 well, must be considered a serious pest in young plantations, and its life 

 history requires fully working out. 



Cut out and burn all young infested saplings. They may be easily 



Protection and ^"ecognized, as the somewhat heavy foliage of the long- 

 Remedies, needled pine turns a bright yellow under heavy attacks, 

 and the trees thus become very conspicuous. 



Areas which have been overrun by fire or on which sickly trees are 

 noted to exist should be carefully watched, the trees being inspected as often 

 as possible for external shot-holes. Trees with these appearing on them 

 should be allowed to remain for a week or two until the beetles about have 

 all oviposited in them, when they should be cut out and burnt. 



During severe attacks trap trees (see p. 573) should be prepared. 



Cryphalus longifolia, Stabbing. 

 {The Long-needled Pine Smaller Cryphalus.) 



Reference.— Stebbing, Depart. Notes, vol. i, 267. 



Habitat.— North-West Himalaya. 



Tree Attacked.— Chir Pine {Pinus longifolia). Jaunsar and Bashahr 

 State (2,000 to 3,000 ft,). 



BeetIe.~A minute insect, yellow to dark brown in colour, and clothed with a fairlv dense 

 mass of long whitish or whitish-yellow hairs. Head with vertex smooth, shining, and very 



linely punctate ; front clothed with longish yellow hairs. Antennae 

 Description. and legs bright yellow. Head hidden by the thorax. Mandibles 



short. Scape of antennae thickened anteriorly, funiculus of foui 

 joints, the first large, longish ; club flattened and oval. Prothorax wider than Ion- convex 

 dorsally. armed with small spiny tubercles anteriorly. Elytra cvlindrical, rounded' at their 

 posterior declivities, not wider than the thorax. Tibiae finelv toothed on their outside edges 

 Tarsus with joints i to 3 of equal length. Body cylindrical. Length, i mm. or a little over' 

 Fig. 342, a, shows a dorsal and side view of this insect. 



The beetle appears on the wing at the end of May and beginning of 

 June, and tunnels into the branches of old trees or 

 Life History. into the tops and branches of young saplings for 



ovipositing purposes. Green sickly branches and half- 

 dry ones appear to be chosen for egg-laying. The May-June generation 

 of the beetle, which was the first one discovered, probably lays the eggs 

 of the second generation of the year, the eggs of the first generation beTng 

 laid some time at the end of March or early in April. 



