74 FAMILY SCARABAEIDAE. 



Serica alcocki, Brenske. 



REFERENCES. Brenske, Ind. Mns. Not. iv, 217 ; Ibid, vi ; Slabbing, Depart. Notes, i, 10 (1902). 



Habitat. Dehra Dun. 



Tree Attacked. Mallotus philippinensis. Dehra Dun (C. G. Rogers). 



Beetle. A smallish thick brown beetle, black to plum-coloured above. Clypeus rounded, 

 thickly but lightly punctate ; last joint of the maxillary palpus short, ovate, or pointed. 



Antennae slender, ten-jointed, the club consisting of three small 



Description. plates. Prothorax convex, rounded at sides. Scutellum small, 



broad. Elytra broadly striate, the striae irregularly punctate, the 



channels finely punctate. Thighs broad, not spined ; hind tibiae slightly dilated, front ones 

 with two teeth. Length, 6.4 mm. 



This Serica was discovered by Mr. C. G. Rogers, I.F.S., on 16 June 

 1896. Mr. Rogers took the beetle from the leaves of 



Life History. Mallotus pJiilippinensis in the Dehra Dun sal forests. The 

 beetle feeds on the young tender succulent leaves of the 

 tree, nearly the whole of the leaf, with the exception of the midrib, being 

 eaten. The beetle, as observed by Mr. Rogers, commences feeding on the 

 leaf either at the edge or in the middle, but apparently confines itself to the 

 young leaves. It was not observed to eat the old hard ones. 



This beetle, like several other members of this sub-family, drops off 

 the food-plant to the ground when disturbed or frightened, and Mr. Rogers 

 noticed that it was then extremely difficult to detect amongst the dead 

 leaves and decaying vegetation of the forest floor. Investigation has not 

 yet shown on what tree the grubs of this species feed. They may feed on 

 the roots of the Mallotus or upon those of the sal, Terminalia, and other trees 

 growing in this locality. 



Serica assamensis, Brenske. 



REFERENCES. Brenske, Ind. Mus. Not. iv, 176 (1899) ; ibid, v, 14. 



Habitat. Bengal Duars, Assam. 



Tree Attacked. Tea-plant (Camellia the a) (Messrs. Andrew and Yule) ; 

 Sal (Shorea robust a). Bengal Duars. 



Beetle. Brown, the head and prothorax reddish brown. Clypeus obscurely three-toothed, 

 rather broad, finely punctate, and furnished with very short spines, the median line slightly 



keeled. Antennae ten-jointed, joints two to seven very short, the 



Description. terminal joint faintly three-lobed in both sexes, and scarcely longer 



in the male. Prothorax broad, sides slightly rounded anteriorly, 



straight behind ; posterior angles obtuse. Elytra with a series of striae, the interspaces 

 between them but slightly convex. Thighs and tibiae slightly broadened posteriorly. 

 Length, 6 mm. to 6.8 mm. ; breadth, 4 mm. to 4.3 mm. 



In April 1899 this beetle was reported to be seriously defoliating tea 



in the Duars tea gardens close to the Bhutan Hills. 



Life History. The beetle suddenly appeared in the gardens on 



12 April in large numbers, and stripped the tea-bushes 



of the new leaves of the year, as also the new shoots. An examination of the 



