FAMILIES LAGRIIDAE AND MONOMMIDAE 245 



Lagria sp. nov. 



REFERENCE. Determined by Herr H. Gebien as a new species of Lagria. 



Habitat. Assam, Buxa Duars. 



Tree Attacked. Semul (Bombux malabaricum). Goalpara, Buxa Duars. 

 Beetle. Elongate, the head and prothorax small and narrow. 

 Dark indigo-blue, shining. Head inclined at an angle, tuberculate 



on front, vertex rugose. Prothorax nar- 

 Description. rower behind, finely punctate. Elytra wider V.. ,-/ 



than prothorax, widest two-thirds up, 



thence constricted on a curve to apex ; disk covered with irregular 

 transverse fine striae, the base closely punctate ; lateral edges of 

 insect and legs set with sparse coarse hairs. Legs black. Length, 

 6.2 mm. 



During a tour made in April and May 1906 

 through Goalpara with Mr. W. F. 

 Life History. Perree, he mentioned that he had Lagria Y .'v*' Assam. 



noted that the semul-trees in the 



division were seriously defoliated by a small beetle. The semul is of con- 

 siderable importance in Assam, as the wood is largely used for the manufacture 

 of tea-box planking. I was afforded opportunities for studying this attack. 



My investigations showed that the real aggressor was the small weevil 

 Myllocerus lincatocollis (vide p. 400). Individuals of this small Lagria were, 

 however, also present, and were engaged in defoliating the trees. 



Family MONOMMIDAE. 



Lefroy mentions, in Indian Insect Life, that this family is represented in 

 India by a single genus and species only. In some respects this insect 

 resembles the oval forms of the Staphylinidae. 



Monomma brunneum, Thorns. 



REFERENCE. Thorns. Monogr. Ann. Fr. p. 23, t. 2, f. 5 (1860). 



Habitat. North India. 



Trees Infested. Sal (Shorea robu^ta] ; Tcnniiiiilia touicnt\d. Siwuliks 

 and United Provinces Terai forests. 



Beetle. Elongate, convex, dark brown in colour. Head small, not hidden by pntlm].i\ 

 the antennae ending in a club and fitting into grooves in the sides of the prothorax when 

 the insect is at rest. I'mthorax narrowest in front; shining-punctate; elytra rather 

 coarsely striate-punclate. Length, 9 mm. 



This beetle is found occasionally beneath the bark of s;il and Tcnninalia 

 ttniu'iilosa trees in North India and, I think, in the 

 Life History. Chota Nagpur sal forest:-. The beetle is either a dead- 

 bark or sap feeder, but I know nothing of the habits of 

 the larvae nor where the eggs are laid. 



The family is only represented by this species in India, and cannot be 

 considered at present to have any economic importance in the forests. 



