FAMILY BOSTRYCHIDAE 139 



I think no further argument in favour of the enormous value and efficacy 

 of the water and oil treatment can be required than is afforded by these 

 15,000 bamboos which have remained immune to the beetle-attacks for a 

 period of five years and are as good and sound to-day as they were when 

 they were treated. 



I. Tillusnotatus, Klug.(p. 186). The beetles are slim and slight in build, and exactly 

 fat the gallery of the Dinoderus uiinntus beetle. The head, antennae, and margin of prothorax 



are black, shining ; three basal joints of antennae red-yellow, rest black. 



Predaceous Insects. Rest of prothorax dark orange-red ; basal fourth of elytra orange, 



rest yellow, the apices black ; a transverse black band, broadest on 



outside margin, crosses the elytra medianly, and a broader one occupies the major part of the 

 apical half. Under-surface yellowish, abdomen black. Head and prothorax finely punctate ; 

 elytra coarsely striate-punctate in basal half, finely punctate apically. Length, 8 mm. to 13 mm. 

 PI. ix, fig. 2, shows the beetle. 



Pupa. Elongate, narrow. Yellowish-white. The wings and legs pressed against the 

 chest, the antennae to the sides. 1 have taken several pupae from the larval galleries of 

 Dinoderus minutits. They exactly fit the galleries, and wriggle about a good deal when 

 disturbed or removed. 



Life History. This beetle is predaceous upon the Dinoderus minutus 

 larvae and pupae, and perhaps beetles. Whilst engaged in investigating 

 the attacks of this bostrychid in bamboos in Calcutta in 1903 I first dis- 

 covered this Tillns in the galleries of the Dinoderus inside the bamboos. 

 Towards the end of May I cut out a number of the beetles which had all 

 entered the tunnels, whose circumference their bodies exactly fit, to prey 

 upon the Dinoderus. 



I first took beetles on 25, 28, and 30 May. They lie up in the 

 longitudinal galleries bored by the beetles and larvae. The Tillns is 

 extremely active, and runs and flies well. 



During May and a part of June I made some experiments with this 

 predator with the object of discovering whether it attacked the beetles 

 or larvae for its food. In the cases where the beetles only were placed in a 

 box with the Tillus they remained apparently untouched by the latter. 

 Between 26 and 31 May not one beetle was attacked. On i June 

 I placed some living Dinodcrns larvae and pupae in the box, an.l these 

 were at once attacked by the Tillus. In the case of the larva the derid 

 beetle invariably attacked it at the posterior end, slightly to one side on the 

 tenth or eleventh segment, and appeared to suck out its contents, first firmly 

 clasping it with its mandibles. 



Now, Thiimisinins hinuilnyciisis (vide p. 508) devours tin- scolytid beetles 

 it preys upon outside the tree, and does not feed upon tin- larvae or pup.u- 

 or enter the tree. It would appear proh.ible, theivlt.iv. ih.it ihe l'illn\ does 

 not attack the Dinoderus beetles, the hard exterior c-hitin of \\hirli its 

 mandibles do not appear powerful enough t< pierce through, but enters 

 through the beetles' entrance-holes into tli bamboo, and then pushes its way 

 through the wood-dust and excreta in the larval galleries inside in search of 

 the larvae and pupae. 



