344 



FAMILY CERAMBYCIDAE 



laying season of the insects, or when heavy snow-breaks result in a large 

 number of partially broken-down and sickly trees being present in the 

 forest. To such places this longicorn will invariably repair to oviposit. 



These are the same as already detailed for the buprestid pest (Sphenoptera 

 aternma). At present my observations have not resulted 



Protective and - n discovering a ny parasitic foes of this longicorn. I am 

 Remedial Measures. ,, , , n T-// n u - u 



not aware whether the Ichneumon fly, Ephialtes, which 



parasitizes the buprestid grubs (vide p. 207) also infests the longicorn grubs. 



CERESIUM. 



The genus contains several Indian representatives. One is well known 

 as a serious pest to the casuarina plantations in Madras. 



Ceresium simplex, Gyll. 



REFERENCES. Gyll. (Stenochorus), Schbnh. Syn. Ins. app. ii, p. 178 (1817) ; Arhopalus ambiguus, Newman, 

 Entomologist, i, p. 246 (1842); Stebbing, Depart. Notes, vol. i, p. 374 (Stromatium sp. prox. 

 barbatum) (1906) ; Gahan, F.B.I. Ceramb. i, no. 175, p. 162 (1906). 



Habitat. North Arcot, Cocanada. Gahan gives N. India; Burma; 



Tenasserim ; Ceylon ; Nicobar Islands ; Philippine Islands ; Sumatra and 



Java to New Guinea; Mauritius and Madagascar. Recorded also from Mexico. 



Tree Attacked. Casuarina (Casnanna cquiseti folia). North Arcot, 



Cocanada. 



Beetle. Brownish testaceous ; antennae and legs yellowish. 

 Head rather densely covered above with pale yellowish pubescence. 



Antennae a little longer than the body in 



Description. , not quite so long as it in $ ; third 



joint not longer than first, distinctly longer 



than fourth ; fifth and sixth sub-equal, each longer than third. 



Prothorax almost as broad as long, slightly rounded at sides, these 



covered with greyish pubescence ; disk faintly covered with greyish 



pubescence in the middle, marked with two spots or a longitudinal 



band of dense tawny-yellow pubescence at each side ; a narrow 



median and some small laterally placed callosities, smooth and 



glabrous ; the intervening spaces sparsely and irregularly punctured. 



Elytra closely and strongly punctured from the base to the middle, 



the punctures nearest the base somewhat granulate, the punctures 



becoming feebler as they approach apex. Femora fusiform-clavate, thickened gradually almost 



from the base. Length, u mm. to 16 mm. ; breadth, 3 mm. to 4^ mm. (Descr. after Gahan.} 



Larva. Elongate, but slightly corrugated; white ; about i in. in length. 



The first notice of this insect occurring as a pest in Madras was furnished 



by Mr. C. D. Thornton, I.F.S. Larvae were found in the 



Life History. cambium layer of casuarina-trees, occurring apparently 



more especially in old trees. The grubs eat out long 



galleries which groove both bast and sapwood, and when in numbers they 

 completely ring the tree, thus causing its death. Larvae were first taken in 

 December, about half-grown, the beetles issuing from the trees in June. 

 The grubs probably pupate about April, the following two months being 

 spent in the pupa and resting- beetle stages. The larval life, during which 



FIG. 232. 



Ceresium simplex, 

 Gyll. Madras. 



