472 



FAMILY SCOLYTIDAE 



Tribe DIAMERINAE. 



Tibiae with outer edge smooth ; front tibiae lengthened out into a 

 one- or two-toothed hook. Abdomen horizontal. 



DIAMERUS. 

 Only one species of the genus of forest importance is known. 



Diamerus fici, Blandford. 



REFERENCE. Blandford, Trans. Ent. Soc. Loud. 426 (1898). 



Habitat. Tista Valley, Eastern Himalaya. 



Tree Attacked. India-rubber (Ficus elastica), Tista Valley. 



Beetle. Oblong, black, sub-opaque, the antennae and tarsi piceous brown. Head slightly 

 shining, closely but not very strongly punctate, and furnished with very short, accumbent 



grey pubescence ; front impressed between the antennal foveae, 

 Description. convex above, and with a slight median nodular elevation, some- 



what more shining ; eyes oblong-oval ; antennal club flattened, 



obovate, somewhat blunt at apex, very closely pubescent, with a strongly angulate suture 

 towards the base. Prothorax constricted anteriorly, the sides rounded, lateral margins 

 distinct, dorsum convex, with very close but not coarse punctation, and a sub-carinate median 

 line from the base to the middle. Elytra twice as long as the prothorax, separately and strongly 

 rounded at the base with narrow, raised, crenate margins, carried back obliquely and sinuate at 

 the sides ; surface with moderately deep incised shining crenate striae, the interstices sub- 

 convex, with close and rather line punctures bearing very short and inconspicuous setae. 

 I'luler-side strongly punctured and pubescent with short grey hairs. Legs robust, the anterior 

 tibiae widened apically, the upper apical angle with a backwardly directed tooth ; middle and 

 posterior tibiae with the upper border rounded and crenate. Length, 5.5 mm. 



To my knowledge only one individual of this species has been as yet 

 taken. It was from this insect that Mr. Blandford 

 Life History. described the species. 



The beetle appears on the wing apparently in the 



latter part of July. On the thirtieth of that month (in 1897) I found a 

 beetle tunnelling into or ringing (I was not sure which) a young india-rubber 

 cutting in a nursery situated in the Tista Valley (Tista Division). The 

 cuttings had been in about a year, and had already thrown out several leaves, 

 and the one being attacked was quite healthy. 



Tribe HYLESININAE. 



Tibiae never prolonged into a hook or process at outer angle. Head 

 provided with a rostrum. Hind joint of tarsus broadest. 



The tribe contains a peculiarly Indian genus, Sphacrotiypes, which 

 includes species of great economic importance in the plains forests. The 

 genera Hylastcs, Phlocosinus, and Chramesus also contain Indian forest 

 species. 



