280 



parasites of C. capitata are Galesus silvestrii, Dirhinus giffardi, Opius 

 humilis, and Syntomosphyrum itidicum. 



Moll (F.). Ueber die ZerstOrung von verarbeitetem Holz durch Kafer 

 und den Schutz dagegen. [The Destruction of worked Timber by 

 Beetles and its Protection.] — Naturwiss. Zeitschr. f. Forsf- u. 

 Landivirtschaft, Stuttgart, xiv, no. 10-11, October-November 1916, 

 pp. 482-503. [Received 1st May 1917.] 



This paper completes previous communications on wood-destroying 

 insects in general (Nat. Ztschr. f. Land-u. Forstwissenschaft, 1912), 

 and on termites (Zentralblatt f. d. Ges. Forstwesen, 1916). These 

 papers deal with pests of worked timber, to which they cause 

 considerable damage ; this is not the case with beetles, which are 

 practically unimportant as regards constructional timber, though the 

 injury they do to furniture, etc., is more serious. 



The beetles in question are Hyloirupes {Callidimn) bajulus, L., 

 Anobitmi striatum. 01., A. pertinax, L., Xestobium riifoviUosum, De G., 

 Ernobius mollis, L., and Ptiliniis pectinicornis, L. A key to these 

 species is given. Of less importance are Lymexylon navale, Anobivm 

 carpini, Ptilinus fuscvs {casta t us), Bostrychus [Ajiate) capuciyms and 

 Lyctus unipunctatiis. 



The chief damage is done during the larval period, which lasts at 

 least one year, often two or more, while the adult rarely lives for 

 more than one or two weeks. As it is important to recognise the 

 larvae, a key to them is also given. These beetles resemble each other 

 in their habits and swarm in spring, the eggs being deposited near the 

 old flight-hole. On hatching, the larva at once begins to burrow. 

 Ernobius mollis prefers the bark, while the other species attack the 

 wood, especially the sap-wood. No explanation has yet been found 

 for the fact that the heart- wood is avoided. When nearing maturity, 

 the larva bores towards the surface and pupates, this stage lasting 

 two to three weeks. Some species of Anobitmi, such as A. jjertinax, and 

 X. nifus require a much longer period, which may extend to a year 

 or more. The Anobiid beetles always fly back to their bore-hole. 

 This accounts for the numbers of small beetles found in infested wood. 

 Anobium striatum , Oliv., occurs throughout northern Europe and 

 attacks all European timbers, especially pine, fir and oak. Except 

 at the actual pairing time, in June and July, it is rarely seen outside 

 the timber. The eggs are deposited in small heaps in splits in the 

 bark or in the bore-holes. A. pertinax, L., has the same distribution 

 and attacks the same timbers as A. striatum. Succeeding generations 

 of this beetle live in the same piece of wood, which they hollow out. 

 Xestobium. rufovillosum, De G., occurs almost exclusively in the timber 

 of deciduous trees, especially beech and oak. It is chiefly found in 

 carpenters' timber and, more rarely, in furniture. The larval passages, 

 which follow the grain, measure up to four millimetres in diameter. 

 The balls of excreta are one of the surest means of recognising this 

 species ; they are remarkably large, being nearly one millimetre in 

 diameter, and are flat and lens-shaped. The duration of the life-cycle 

 is not known ; it probably lasts two years, after which the adult 

 passes a winter inside the wood until the spring. Emobivs mollis, L., 

 infests coniferous woods, its occurrence in deciduous timber being 



