536 FAMILY SCOLYTIDAE 



Very little is known about these small cryphalids in India, and it is 



therefore impossible to state here the relation they 



Damage Committed ^.^^j, ^^^^ ^^ ^j^^ forests. I cannot at present say 



in the Forest. , -; ,.,,-, i , . i ^.u i 



whether this beetle is abundant or not, nor wnetner it 



attacks young growth as well as old trees. It has only been found in the 

 latter to my knowledge up to date. It is probable that it usually searches 

 for branches which are weak in health ; but examination of dead branches 

 shows that those which it attacks in any numbers it invariably kills. The 

 cambium is entirely eaten away by the larvae, the latter being responsible 

 for the greater part of the damage done. A certain amount of thinning-out 

 of the smaller branches and shortening of the older ones must take place on 

 the tree under the operations of this insect. If young growth is attacked 

 leaders may be killed by the beetle. 



Cryphalus tectonae, Stabbing. 



Reference. — Stebbing, Depart. Notes, i, 263. 



Habitat. — Berar. 



Tree Attacked. — Teak {Tectona grandis). Melghat Forest, Berar. 



Beetle.— Smaller than Cryphalus boswelliae. Cylindrical. Head, prothorax, and 

 elvtra a reddish brown in colour, and covered with rather scattered short yellow hairs, which 

 are set in rows on the elytra. The 

 Description. prothorax set with tubercular pro- 



jections anteriorly, and lightly 

 pitted posteriorly. Elytra fairly finely striate and punctate, 

 with parallel rows of short yellow hairs running down 

 them. Antennae and legs bright yellowish-brown. Under- 

 surface set with longish tufts of white hairs placed irre- 

 gularly. Length, 1.2 mm. Fig. 344. 



Larva.— The grub of this beetle is very small, white. Cry ph at us fee Zonae, Steb., in 

 curved, and has no'"legs. ^^'^'^- ^^^'■''^'■• 



The flight-time of this insect is about the latter half of July in this part 

 of India (Berar). The beetle would appear to have the 



Life History. same habits as other minute Cryphali in the continent. 



It bores into a branch until it reaches the cambium 

 layer, and then mines out in this and the sapwood a small chamber, being 

 then joined by a companion. They then together eat out the egg-gallery, 

 which is s'mply an irregular-shaped small chamber made in the bast and 

 sapwood, in which the eggs are laid amongst a small mass of wood-dust. 



In one case I found a larva, and it would seem therefore probable 

 that the beetles commence egg-laying about the beginning of July in Berar, 

 and that only a few days are passed in the egg stage, the larvae hatching out 

 within a very short time. This minute beetle was discovered boring into 

 the smaller branches of the teak-tree in Berar in July 1901, This is at 

 present all that has been observed on the habits of this minute beetle. 



