FAMILY PLATYPODIDAE 



633 



Diapus mirus," Sampson, sp. nov. 



Reference. — Sampson, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist, ser; 8, xii, 452 (1913)- 



Habitat. — Assam Sal Areas. 



Tree Attacked. — Sal {Shorca robnsta). Goalpara. 



Beetle.— Small, shining. Head black, prothorax dark brown, elytra yellowish green, 

 apical third brown. Under-surface of metathorax dark brown, rest lighter-coloured ; legs 



yellowish brown. From anterior edge of front 

 Description. of head arises a transverse ridge of stout 



yellow hairs divided into four groups which 

 extend upwards and backwards over whole front to middle of vertex ; 

 between the eyes are two large clusters of similar hairs, also divided 

 into groups, the inner pair of which extend straight out from front, but 

 are slightly bent downwards at tips and then end abruptly, having a 

 total length of over .5 mm. ; the other two groups are twisted round 

 the first pair and then cross the middle of the front, thus concealing 

 nearly the Avhole frontal surface. Prothorax smooth, with a group of 

 pores as in /ur/ivn.s-, with two depressions placed transversely on 

 anterior third of disk. Elytra very finely striate-punctate, the apex 

 rounded. Length, 3.7 mm. 



/ 



Fig. 399. — Diapus 

 >ju'rus, Sampson, 

 sp. nov. Goalpara, 

 Assam. 



This platypid was taken commonly in company with 



D. fuytivus and D. quinqiiespinatus, 



Life History. tunnelling into newly felled sal-trees 



in the Kachugaon forests in May igo6. 



Its life history is probably not unlike that of its companions already 



described. 



Diapus capillatus, Sampson, sp. nov. 



Reference. — Sampson, Arm. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 8, xii, 449 (1913). 



Habitat. — Darjeeling, Eastern Himalaya. 



Tree Attacked. — -Buk {Quercus lamcllosa). Darjeeling Forests (C. G. 

 Rogers). 



* in a communication dated 6 January 1914, Colonel Winn Sampson wrote me as follows 

 with reference to this species : — " I have just had news from Dehra Dun that upsets my species 

 Diapus minis. It seems that during the marriage flight the $ D.furiivus, mihi, has a large 

 cluster of frontal hairs (which I fully described, but as belonging to the $, not having material 

 for dissection) ; when she commences boring these clusters are "cast off" I am informed 

 (more probably worn off I should imagine !). From specimens just sent me, I have determined 

 the sexes to be the reverse of what I thought, and my mistake is excusable as I could not 

 know that the, generally ^, characteristic of a hairy front was reversed in these insects or 

 that these hairs were lost in later life. A still more extraordinary thing is, that the $ has the 

 insertion of the antennae level with the upper edge of the eyes, whilst in the $ they are much 

 lower down the front. . . . This (if correct) reverses my sexes of D.fzirtivus, and D. niirus 

 becomes a synonym, being the 5 of the former species with the hairs on." 



