COLEOPTERA 293 



starch is turned to glucose, and then rafted to dissolve out the glucose. 

 Timber without starch or glucose was not found by him to be attacked 

 by the borer. 



Dr Hilgendorf states that this species emerges in the mature state 

 from the timber in which it lives only in the second and third week in 

 December of each year. Mr Philpott states that the perfect beetles 

 begin to emerge about the middle of November, and by the middle 

 of December are in their greatest numbers. By the end of January 

 they have become scarce. The species is very abundant in Southland. 

 At Weraroa the beetles are found to emerge during October and for 

 a period of four months. 



W. Riddell of Invercargill, with some 35 years' experience in the 

 timber trade, considers that 



the white-pine beetle undoubtedly shows preference for timber grown in 

 certain localities. For instance, White pine from a lowland forest is readily 

 attacked, while that from a more elevated and drier locality is safe for a 

 much longer period. He further stated that on an average about ten years 

 elapse before the grub makes its appearance in a new house, and that 

 there are very few houses more than ten years old in Invercargill in which 

 the grub is not found. There are very few kinds of timber exempt from 

 attack. 



He considers it mainly a question of age and dryness, and that certain 

 substances in the wood must evaporate or change before the insect 

 will attack it. 



E. A. Butler states that "formerly their ravages were more con- 

 siderable" (in Britain) "than at the present day, owing to the then 

 more extensive use of timber and especially unpainted timber in 

 building construction." 



This species makes ticking sounds similar to those of A. tesselatum. 



The larae are destroyed to a certain extent by a minute wingless 

 ant-like hymenopteron, which goes into the tunnels and attacks its 

 victims. 



Anobium paniceum, Linn. Biscuit- Weevil ; Drug-store Beetle 



This omnivorous insect eats anything of a vegetable substance 

 that it meets with. Its first name is given on account of the attacks 

 it not unfrequently makes on ship's biscuits ; its second for its pen- 

 chant for such things as rhubarb root, ginger and even Cayenne 

 pepper. It is also very destructive to books, drawings and paintings. 

 Westwood records it as perforating tinfoil for the comestible below it. 



Mr W. W. Smith states that it is as common as the preceding 

 species in any timber, especially in white-pine. It works nearer the 

 surface than A. domesticum (April, 1919). 



