632 FAMILY PLATYPODIDAE 



purposes, of the wood-borers. Diapus fitrtivus appeared likely to be the 

 chief of its hosts. 



Tillioera assamensis, Steb. (p. 187), is predaceous upon this Diapus and 

 upon D. quiiujiicspinatus and D. mints. It is described on p. 486. 



Hemiptera. This small bug is predaceous upon the Diapus. 



Insect. Black. Head small, pointed anteriorly with short four-jointed 

 antennae. Thorax convex-punctate. Abdomen black ; elytra membranous. 

 Under-surface black; antennae and legs crimson brown. (PI. Ix, fig. 12.) 



Life History. This small bug was taken in company with the small 

 wood-boring Diapus in the green sal-trees felled at Kachugaon in Goalpara. 

 It appeared to be predaceous upon the platypids. It was also taken in slabs 

 cut from trees felled in February 1906. 



Diapus quinquespinatus, Chap. 



REFERENCES. Chapuis, Mongr. Platy. p. 335 (1866) ; Stebbing, Assam Sal Insects, For. Bull. no. 1 1 (1907). 



Habitat. Assam. Also reported from Borneo and New Guinea (Coll. 

 Wallace et Janson). 



Tree Attacked. Sal (Shorea robusta}. Kachugaon, Goalpara. 



Beetle. Brownish black, shining, elytra brown, posterior edge of prothorax, antennae, and 

 legs ferruginous yellow. $ Front of head slightly convex, with a median line ; the mandibles 



armed with an appendage. Prothorax oblong, with a narrow median 



Description. furrow with a faintly marked pit anteriorly. Elytra striate-punc- 



tate, the second furrow prominent from base to apex, the intervals 



irregularly punctate, 3 most prominent at apex and extremity ; elytra thickened behind with a 

 narrow deep transverse marginal furrow ; last abdominal segment smooth, edged with long 

 hairs. $ Front of head sparsely and strongly punctate. Prothorax subqundrate, shorter and 

 wider than in <J, sparsely and finely punctate, the punctures stronger laterally, with a few 

 large ones on each side of median line. Elytra with the second furrow prominent, the intervals 

 finely and sparsely punctate : 3, 5, 7, 9 prolonged into a prominent sharp spine ; 2, 4, 6, 8 

 constricted behind, lengthening successively from innermost outwards and terminating in short 

 sharp spines ; last segment of abdomen more or less densely granulose. Length, $ 2 2 J mm - 

 PI. Ix, fig. 9). 



This beetle was taken plentifully from the sal-trees felled during my 



stay in the Kachugaon forests (i.e. between 15 and 



Life History. 23 May 1906). The first specimens were taken on 



15 May from the tree felled on the i3th of that month. 



Likefurtivus, the beetle tunnels into the wood of the tree, entering either at 



the end of a log or through the bark. The hole made is of considerably 



smaller diameter than that of Platypus curtus, and in this way the attacks 



of the Diapi can be distinguished on the outside from those of their 



companion, the little cylinders of ejected wood having a considerably 



narrower diameter. 



