THE AGRICULTURAL PESTS OF INDIA. 47 



Chrysomelidiie. The larvae of these insects are chiefly 

 injurious to the leaves of plants. 



Coccinellidse. ' Lady-birds or cow-ladies.' These are 

 beneficial in the larval and perfect state, both feeding 

 voraciously on the Aphidse or blight. A species, how- 

 ever, in Bengal, with twelve spots, undoubtedly feeds on 

 the leaves and flower- buds of nearly all the Cucurbitacese. 



The insects of Northern India most destructive to 

 living and dead vegetable substances belong to five 

 families of Coleoptera, to two families of the Hemiptera or 

 bugs, to one of the Neuroptera or lace wings, and to 

 three of the Hymenoptera. 



The forest trees of Northern India suffer largely from 

 the genera Bostrichus, Bruchus, Buprestis, Calandra, 

 Cerambyx, Curculio, Euchirus, Hylesinus, Lamia, Leptura, 

 Lucanus, Monocharnus, Prionus, Rhyncoenus, Saperda, 

 Scolytus, Tomicus. These belong to five families, viz. 

 Lamellicornes, Longicornes, Rhynchophora, Serricornes, 

 and Xylophagi. 



The larvse of the family Buprestidee, species of the 

 Lucanus, stag-beetles ; species of Euchirus ; species of 

 the wood boring Xylophagi, Bostrichus, Tomicus, and 

 Hylesinus, are all of them very destructive. The 

 Buprestidse are peculiarly forest insects, attacking the 

 timber of coniferous trees of Northern India. The 

 Lucanidre, stag-beetles, are pre-eminently wood feeders. 

 They live in their larva stage in the interior of the 

 trunks of large trees. A very large proportion of the 

 species of Coleoptera do not come forth of their hiding- 

 places until dusk, and a large number even pass their 

 whole lives in concealment. 



Coreidse. See Cicadidse. 



Corn-weevil. See Coleoptera ; Curculionidse. 



