PLOC^DEEUS. 123 



bark, imbedded between it and the wood, in a felled tree of the 

 Butea frondosa or Dhak. The larvae had apparently only lived on 

 the sap-wood, and underwent the second metamorphosis on the 

 site of their original operations ; another remarkable fact was 

 that these beetles are in the perfect state as early as March." 

 In a footnote he adds : " I have since obtained numerous speci- 

 mens of these beetles and their cocoons; imbedded to a depth of 

 eight inches in logs of Odina wodier and Bombax heptaphyllum. 

 They are the commonest and earliest variety of Monochami out, 

 the perfect insects haviug been obtained as early in the season as 

 November." 



Cocoons of Ploccedervs obesus from the Shan States, given to 

 the British Museum by Mr. Gates, answer perfectly to the 

 above description. They are egg-like, and consist almost entirely 

 of calcium carbonate, dissolving readily in acids and leaving no 

 residue. African species of the genus form similar cocoons ; so 

 that probably all the species are alike in this respect. 



II. Prothorax ivith a rather short, conical spine on each side. 



118. Plocaederus pedestris, White (Hammaticherus), Cat. Col. B. M., 

 Longic. p. 127 (1853). 



Almost black, with the antennae and legs ferruginous ; clothed 

 with a faint grey pubescence. Antennae of the $ a little longer 

 than the body ; joints fifth to tenth denticulately produced at the 

 anterior apical angle. Prothorax armed with a rather short 

 conical spine on each side ; strongly and irregularly corrugate 

 above. Elytra slightly narrowed backwards ; finely and closely 

 punctate, the punctures on the basal half, especially near the base, 

 a little larger and more crowded together than those on the apical 

 half ; the truncate apices dentate at each of the angles. 



Length 25-28 ; breadth 7|-8 mm. 



Hab. North-West, Northern, and Central India : Mhow 



119. PlocaBderus humeralis, White (Hammaticherus), Cat. Col. B. M., 

 Longic. p. 127 (1853). 



Reddish brown or ferruginous in colour, the elytra of a 

 more reddish or testaceous tint, suffused with dark brown at 

 the shoulders and sometimes also along the sides ; the femora 

 sometimes tipped with dark brown at the apex. Antennae of 

 the $ a little longer than the body, those of the <S much longer 

 and with a thicker first joint ; joints fifth to tenth denticulately 

 produced at the anterior angle. Elytra punctulate in the same 

 manner as in P. pedestris, and similarly quadri-dentate at the apex. 



Length 22-32 ; breadth 6^10 mm. 



Hab. Northern India ; Bombay ; S. India ; Burma : North 

 Chin Hills. 



