100 



FOREST ENTOMOLOGY. 



The beetle (fig. 92) is about 3 to 3| mm. long, and of a darkish- 

 brown colour throughout. The interstices are deeply, but uniformly, 



punctured, and studded with warts, so that 

 it is slightly rough in appearance. 



Hylastes ater (Payk.) 



This species is known as the black pine 

 bast-beetle, and may be easily recognised 

 by its uniform black colour and elongated 

 appearance. I have found this species in 

 JSTorthumberland at Corbridge Fell. In 

 the winter months it is fairly common 

 under the comparatively thin bark of 

 Scots pine logs of six to nine inches 

 diameter (tops left lying on the ground 

 after removing large stems), more especi- 

 ally on the under side where lying in a 

 fairly moist position. The perfect beetles, 

 on leaving their winter quarters in early 

 summer, are very much attracted by the 

 resin which exudes from the butt-end of the stem on newly felled 

 Scots pine trees. Such embedded specimens are not much use for 

 the cabinet, though they may to some extent be clarified by 



immersion in turpentine. On July 3, 1907, 

 I found a plentiful supply of this species 

 at Corbridge Fell on a recently sawn stack 

 of rails of Scots pine. They were moving 

 about on the rails, but on attempting to 

 bottle them they nearly all feigned death. 

 The habits of this species would therefore 

 appear to be somewhat different from the 

 family, inasmuch as the beetles of this family 

 generally pass their time within the food-plant. 

 As regards its true relation to the forest, 

 the breeding-places proper are at the lower 

 portion of the stems of young Scots pine trees from 6 to 10 years 

 of age, more especially unhealthy trees, which are obviously going 

 back, in consecpience, perhaps, of the reaction from careless planting. 



Fig. 91.- Markings of Hylastes 

 palliatus on branch of Scots 

 pine. 



1 



Fig. 92. Hylastes palliatus. 

 (From Fisher's ' Forest Pro- 

 tection.') 



