FAMILY SCARABAEIDAE 



81 



This appears to be the first report of the insect from this locality, and 

 no observations seem to have been previously recorded on its life history. 



Lachnosterna impressa, Burm. 



REFERENCES. Burm. Handb. iv, 2, 314; Gem. Har. Cat. Coleop. iv, 1168; Cotes, 2nd. Mus. No(. i, 59; 



id. Tea Insects, Hi, 4, p. 5 ; Barlow, ib. iv, 261. 



Habitat. Darjeeling; Sikkim. 



Tree Attacked. Tea (Camellia theifera). Sikkim. 



Beetle. Stout, elongate, brown, rather shining, punctate. Prothorax wider than 

 long. Scutellum heart-shaped. Elytra broadest in apical fourth, where they are much 

 broader than prothorax ; apices separately rounded, suture often slightly gaping at apex ; 

 pygidium exposed ; tibiae spined. Length, 20 mm. to 25 mm. 



Larva. White, curved, crinkled, with prominent head, stout mandibles, and three pairs 

 of rather long legs. 



This insect is very abundant in the Darjeeling torests and tea gardens, 



and is found throughout the Sikkim forests in the 



Life History. Kalimpong Division. The beetle appears on the wing 



from the end of March through April into May. The 



larva feeds on the roots of the tea and garden plants, and not improbably 

 on the roots of-seedlings of forest trees as well. In 1883 the grubs committed 

 great havoc in the public gardens at Darjeeling, over two and a half millions 

 of individuals having been collected. In 1891 the insect again made its 

 appearance in the Darjeeling district, and killed off a large number of 

 plants in the tea-garden nurseries. The full life history does not appear 

 to have yet been worked out, but it is improbable that it passes through 

 more than one life-cycle in the year. 



HETEROPLIA. 

 Heteroplia varians, Oliv. 



REFERENCE. Oliv. Ent. i, 5, p. 78, t. 10, f. 123, a, b. 



Habitat. United Provinces Terai. 

 Tree Attacked. Sal (Shorcn robust a). Horai, 

 Kumaun. 



Beetle. Stout, elongate, yellow, moderately shining ; the head 

 black, shining, margins of prothorax, scutellum, and elytra Mack ; 



legs and antennae brown. Head small, 

 Description. punctate. Prothorax wider than loi 



sides rounded ; smooth, very linrly and 



lightly punctate. Scutellum large. Klytru broadest about middle, 

 where they are broader than thorax, apex rounded, suture slightly 

 gaping apically ; surface smooth, very finely punctate : pygidimn 

 yellow; tibiae spined. Length, iSmm. 

 9003 



I- n .. 15. //,/' ><'/ . 

 >'atis, < >h\ . Kumaun. 



