414 RHYNCHOPHORA. [Hi/lastes. 



the formation of the thorax will easily separate the species from the 

 two preceding. L. 3-3| mm. 



In decaying firs; local, but common where it occurs ; Shirley, Mickleham, Esher, 

 Ripley, Cowfold, Birdbrook, West Wickham, &c. ; Windsor Forest ; The Holt, 

 Farnham ; Hastings district ; Faygate, Sussex ; Portsmouth district ; New Forest ; 

 Glanvilles Woottou ; Bath; Llangollen ; Sutton, near Birmingham; Hopwas Wood, 

 Tamworth ; Chat Moss ; Bridlington Quay ; Liverpool district, rare ; Dunham Park, 

 Manchester; Northumberland and Durham district; Scotland, common in the bark 

 of fir logs, Solway, Forth, T:iy, Dee and Moray districts ; it appears to be the 

 commonest species of Hylastes in some parts of the South of England. 



HYX.ASTINUS, Bedel. 



This genus has been formed by Bedel for the reception of the single 

 species H. obscurus, Marsh, which has hitherto been included under 

 Hylesinus ; it may be distinguished from the latter genus by having the 

 anterior coxse widely distant, the first and second joints of the club of 

 the antennae large and almost equal and the following very short ; it 

 occurs in Western and Central Europe and also in Madeira (Woll. Cat. 

 of Mad. Col. p. 99) ; it lives in the thick part of the stems of various 

 Papilionacese, especially Trifol/um, Ononis, Ulex, Sarofhamnus,&c.,and 

 has been known to do considerable damage to clover fields. The habits 

 of the species have been carefully observed and described by Dr. Chap- 

 man (Eut. Monthly Mag. vi. (1869) p. 7); he has chiefly found it in 

 furze, but has also met with it in broom ; with regard to its occurrence 

 at the roots of clover (its recognized habitat) he believes that it may 

 attack them, but is inclined to disbelieve that the beetles ever deposit 

 their eggs in that plant ; the parent gallery of the insect appears only to 

 have one branch, which is very straight, accurately transverse to the 

 stem, and f of an inch to an inch in length ; the eggs are laid at the 

 bottom of little cavities on either side of the burrow, and covered by 

 frass, which fills the cavities to the level of the wall of the burrow, of 

 which there is usually a small unoccupied portion between each cavity ; 

 the number of eggs laid is small, a dozen on either side being above the 

 average ; the larvce burrow upwards and downwards ; many of the 

 beetles assume the perfect state in the autumn, and either continue the 

 larval burrow until spring,after the manner of Plilosoplitlwrusrliododadylus, 

 or, escaping, make a fresh longitudinal burrow in a higher portion of the 

 same stick in which they hybernate, apparently eating a little all the 

 winter ; some assume the perfect state during the winter, and not a 

 small proportion pass the winter as larvae ; the period of oviposition is 

 rather later than in P. rhododactylus, and occupies nearly a month. 



H. obscurus, Marsh (trifolii, Miill.). Rather short, subparallel, 

 moderately convex, dull, pitchy or brownish, with the elytra lighter 

 pitchy or dull red ; upper surface with rather short pubescence ; thorax 

 about as long as broad, with the sides slightly narrowed in front, very 



