FAMILY LUC AN I DAE 



of these insects when it is stated that the larvae live from three to four 

 years in that state in the interior of the trunks of oaks, and that barely one 

 in ten of the trees to be met with in Nyne Tal does not bear the marks of 

 their ravages. These and larvae of Prionus beetles seem to exclusively 

 attach themselves to the oak as their habitation. . . . They bore circular 

 chambers, penetrating to the heart of the stem, winding into various passages 

 both up and down the trunk. They eject the undigested particles through 

 holes made for the purpose, forming lateral communications with the main 

 tunnels ; these particles may be observed at the roots of the trees so affected 

 in the form of small lengthened chips." 



The Prionus beetle referred to by Mr. Thompson is the cerambycid 

 Lophosternm Jingclii, whose life history is detailed on p. 274. It is the work 

 of the larva of this beetle which Mr. Thompson appears to have confused 

 with that of the lucanid ones. 



As has been shown, lucanid larvae cannot at present be considered as of 

 economic importance to the forester. 



Lucanus mearesi, Hope. 



REFERENCES. Hope, Proc. Ent. Soc. 83 (1842) ; Ann. Nat. Hist, xii, 4, 364. 



Habitat. Darjeeling. 



Tree Attacked. Kharani (Symplocits the ce folia}. Darjeeling (C. G. 



Rogers). 



Beetle. Resembles liinifer, but is smaller, the 

 elytra with a golden or purple reflexion. The 



<J can be distinguished by 

 Description. the different shape of dorsal 



surface of head, the anterior 



margin of vertex being nearly straight, the outer angles 

 but slightly produced, the margin being only slightly 

 sinuate. In the $ the front of head is much less 

 coarsely rugose-punctate. Length, $ 35 mm. to 

 smaller. 



64 mm. 



This 



FlG. 39. Liu ti/ius wi-aresi, Hope. <J and $ . Himalaya. 



lucanid was 

 reported 



Life History, from the 

 Darjeeling 



forests by Mr. C. G. 

 Rogers, Conservator of 

 Forests. Mr. Rogers 

 stated that it bores into 

 the dead sapwood of 

 the kharani-tree at ele- 

 vations of from 5,000 ft. 

 to 6,000 ft. above sea- 

 level. 



