FAMILY MALACODERMIDAE 181 



more especially in the larval stages. Malacoderms are commonly found 

 on the wing during the day, or resting on the under-surfaces of leaves, 

 etc. Other species will be found crawling or running about over the forest 

 floor beneath the trees. I have taken specimens of the genus Plateros ovi- 

 positing on teak in the Central Provinces, and committing a certain amount 

 of defoliation by feeding on the parenchyma of the leaf, both in the Central 

 Provinces and in Madras. Other members of the family have been taken 

 between the bark and sapwood of trees. So far, however, investigations 

 do not show that the family is of great importance in the forest. 



The family is a large one, and consists of a number of sub-families, 



the Lycinae, Lampyrinae, Telephorinae, Drilinae, and 



Classification. Melyrinae. Its importance in the forest does not 



justify or necessitate further details on the classification. 



The species noted as of interest are briefly dealt with below. The 



genus Plateros belongs to the sub-family Lycinae. 



PLATEROS. 

 Plateros dispallens, Wlk. 



Habitat. Central Provinces. 



Tree Attacked. Teak (Tectona grandis). Damoh, Central Provinces. 



Beetle. Head and prothorax shining black. Prothorax entirely covers the head, wider 

 than long, with a deep sinus running round its edge. Antennae longish, serrate, and shining 



black, as also are legs ; elytra soft, leathery, not meeting rigidly at 



Description. the suture ; rounded at ends. Anterior half of elytra orange-yellow, 



posterior portion black. Under-surface of insect shining black. 



Male resembles female in coloration, but latter is slightly larger. Length, k in., when fresh. 

 Fig. 123 shows the male and female of Plateros sp., to which this one is very sinul.u in 

 appearance. 



Egg. Dirty pale yellow in colour and elliptical in shape. Very small. 



The insect is to be found on the wing in the middle of August, about 



which time it pairs. The eggs appear t<> ! hid \c-iy 



Life History. soon after pairing, as insects kept under observation l.nd 



within twenty-four hours of coupling. I he i-j^s are 



laid in batches of irregular shape, from thirty to thirty-live being deponed 



close together in a batch, probably usually upon the te.ik t \\igs in the 



forest, or round and on the buds. The 1'liitcros defoliate'- tin- te.d<- trees 



tc some extent in August, eating patches out of the parenehyma .f th<' 



upper surface of teak-leaves. As a result, the lower untouched portion of 



the leaf dies and turns brown. 



