626 



FAMILY PLATYPODIDAE 



Platypus cupulatus, Chap. 



Reference. — Chapuis, Motigy. Platy. p. 278 (1866). 



Habitat. — Tenasserim, Lower Burma, Also reported from Borneo, 

 Sarawak [Coll. Wallace). 



Tree Attacked. — Tcruiinalia belerica. Natchoung, Ataran River. 



Beetle, — $ Front of head Hat, sparsely and strongly punctate 

 with a very short smooth stria medianly. Prothorax oblong, the 



median furrow faint, a smooth median line 

 Description. in front, a small patch of close punctures on 



each side, rest with scattered rather large 

 punctures. Elytra striate-punctate, a deep sutural stria, with faintly 

 marked striae near base, the intervals with scattered punctures ; 

 apical depression obliquely subquadrangulate, the sutural margin 

 longest, surface densely punctate, with a shallow pit near sutural 

 angle. Abdominal segments rugose-granulose, the last most strongly 

 so and scarcely concave. 



2 Front less strongly punctate. Prothorax with the median 

 furrow and line longer than in $. Elytra more deeply punctate- 

 striate, the intervals more regularly and finely punctate. Apical 

 depression circular, very concave, shining and nearly smooth ; 

 sutural angle prolonged backwards. Abdomen nearly flat, the seg- 

 ments finely punctate. Length, (J 5 5 mm. 



Fig. 395. — Platypus 

 cupulatus, .Chap. 

 Tenasserim, Lower 

 Burma. 



The female tunnels down into the heart-wood of the tree, the tunnel 

 going straight in for a couple of inches or more and then 



Life History. curving to the right or left. The insect is of fair size, the 



tunnels thus having a considerable diameter, whilst the 

 entrance-holes are easily visible on the outer bark. The eggs, as is usual, are 

 deposited at the bottom of the tunnel. I took a number of dead beetles, 

 mature and partially mature, in the tunnels on the loth of March 1905. 

 They had apparently been killed in situ by a fire which had been lit to clear 

 the compound of rubbish, the dead Tcrniinalia in which they were found 

 King in the compound of the forest bungalow. The tunnels showed signs 

 of age, indicating that they had been made whilst the wood was still green 

 and sappy. 



Platypus talurae, Stabbing. 



Reference. — Stelibing (Diapus), Depart. Notes, i, 418 (igo6). 



Habitat. — Coimbatore, Madras. 



Tree Attacked. — Shorca talnra. North Coimbatore. 



Beetle. — Elongate, narrow, shining. Head and thorax dark chestnut-brown, almost 

 black ; basal margin, sides, and apical portion of elytra chestnut-brown, rest pale yellow. 

 Antennae yellowish brown, legs pale yellow. Head vertical. 

 Description. broader than thorax, shining and glabrous ; eye vertical, pale silvery 



yellow. Antennae set with long curved yellow hairs on scape and 

 funiculus ; scape sul)cylindrical, longer than funiculus. Thorax oblong with shallow depres- 

 sions on anterior half, emarginate at sides before middle, basal margin bisinuous, finely pitted 

 with a median line. Scutellum is large, triangular, and separates the elytra at the base. 



