FAMILY PLAT YPODI DAE 613 



In the plains species have been taken infesting the sal, pyinkadu, 

 Tcrminalia, Nauclca scssilifioni, Mcluisa, Pithccolobinin, Ahtonia ,W endlandia , 

 Dalhevgia. 



Chapuis, in his Moiiograplie des Pla/ypides, divides the family (which he treats as a 



sub-family) into nine genera : Crossotnrsus, Platypus^ Tesserocerus^ 



Classification. Spaihidicenis, Perioininatiis, Sy/iunerns, Miiosoma, Cenocephalus, 



and Diapiis. 

 Of these three only are known at present to contain species of importance in tlie forests, 

 i.e. Crossotarsiis, Platypus, and Diapus. 



Crossotarsiis. — Head as wide as the prothorax, often concave and carinate in $,. 

 Maxillary palpi membranous, depressed. Mentum in ^ with base coarctate. 

 Mandibles convex on outer and concave on inner face, with a tooth below summit. 

 Abdomen often appears vertical (resembling genus Scolytus), the posterior pair of 

 legs appearing to be placed at the end of the body and far apart from the two anterior 

 pairs, which are close together. Most of the pygidium is exposed. 



Platypus. — Head as wide as thorax in ,5, a little less in $. Maxillary palpi as in 

 Crossotarsiis. Alentum in $ with base dilated or linear ; mandibles short, robust, 

 armed with two teeth on inner face ; pygidium covered up in both sexes ; apex of 

 elytra varies in sexes. 



Diapus. — Head wider than thorax, prolonged into a short rostrum. Maxillary palpi 

 coriaceous, cylindrical. Mandibles often with an appendage. Front coxae fiir apart. 



Crossotarsus. 



Crossotarsus coniferae, Stebbing. 



[llie Deodar Wood-boring Platypid.) 



References.— stebbing, Depart. Notes, i, p. 411 ; id. Crossotarsus plceae, p. 413 I •^"''- Fo''- Memoirs, 



For. Zool. Ser. ii, pt. i, 66 (1911). 



Habitat. — North-West Himalaya. 



Trees Attacked. — Deodar {Ccdriis deodara). Spruce {Picca morinda). 

 Tehri Garhwal, Jaunsar, Chamba. 



Beetle Elongate, narrow, red-brown, shining ; head nearly black. In the female the 



head is large with a transverse median line and tw'O longitudinal depressions behind it on the 



vertex. Prothorax smooth, shining, with close wavy transverse 



Description. striae, punctate posteriorly. Elytra broad, slightly wider in front 



than behind, striate-punctate, striae less dehned medianly, truncate, 



apex terminating in a calliper-like process, the points much incurved, the truncate portion 



clothed with stit^' yellow hairs. Ventral surface shining, abdominal segments concave, black. 



Legs yellowish brown. In the male the head is smaller, the transverse line being absent ; the 



elytra are narrower and parallel, the terminal hooks shorter and only slightly curved inwards ; 



abdomen not concave. Length, 4 mm. to 4.7 mm. PI. Ixii shows the male and female beetles. 



Egg. — Ovate, elliptical, white, semi-translucent. Resembles a hen's egg I'li mi7iiature. 

 Length, 0.75 mm. 



Larva (Young Stage). — Elongate, straight, white ; thickest anteriorly, tapering posteriorly, 

 head pale yellow. Length, i mm. 



