ioo FAMILY STAPHYLINIDAE 



which live under the bark of trees, feeding upon the sap or decaying matter. 

 It is probable that some of the staphylinids found in trees also feed chiefly 

 on decaying matter. The few species I have been 

 able to observe appeared, however, to be predaceous 

 in character. 



Many of the forms living under the bark of trees 

 have a general resemblance either to the common 

 staphylinid found in country lanes in England, the 

 "devil's coach-horse," or to some of the commoner 

 histerids found beneath the bark of trees. Species 

 of both these types are to be found in coniferous 

 trees preying upon scolytid larvae in the Western 

 Himalaya ; whilst a third, resembling the histerid 



type, but with a more elongate abdomen, giving the 



, . FIG. fy.Staphylina m 



insect a torpedo-shaped appearance, is to be found bme - e x N w 



beneath the bark of trees. Himalaya. 



Amongst the trees from which I have taken these small forms of 

 staphylinid beetles may be mentioned the deodar, blue pine, spruce, long- 

 leaved pine, and the Quercm incana, in the Western Himalaya ; Bambusa 

 polymorpha, Milletia brandisiana, Garruga pinnata, and pyinkadu, in Tharra- 

 waddy ; teak, Morus laevigata, ScJiima noronhae, and Eugenia grandis, in 

 Katha in Upper Burma ; Homalium tomentosum and Miluisa velutina in 

 Tenasserim ; in Assam, Ficus elastica, various species of trees in the 

 Evergreen Forests in North Darrang, Pinus khasya in Shillong, and sal in 

 Goalpara ; and in the sal in the Mandla forests in the Central Provinces, 

 where the staphylinid appeared to be feeding upon the wood-borer Sinoxy- 

 lon crassum, and perhaps on Hectarthrum heros, which is predaceous upon 

 the borer here. 



Holosus ? sp. 



Habitat. North- West Himalaya. 



Habits. This small, elongate, shining-black staphylinid is predaceous 

 upon the smaller bark-boring scolytids of the blue-pine in Jaunsar. It 

 attacks Polygraphus pini, Stebbing, Crypturgus pusillus, and, I think, 

 Pityogenes coniferae, Stebbing, and possibly the grubs of Tomicus ribben- 



tropi, Stebbing. I have also taken it from spruce 

 \/~\ J \ A^x > and deodar. 



Leucocraspedum ? sp. 

 Habitat. North-West Himalaya. 



1 ' 1 ' ; - 6 5- Habits. This small, oval, elongate, black, 



Leucocraspe- Holosus u ui--j-r j r i i 



dum ? sp. ? S p shining staphylinid is found fairly commonly in 



N.W. Himalaya. (E.P.S.) felled and girdled blue-pine infested with the 



