THE METHOD OF OVIPOSITION OF LYCTUS BRUNNEUS. 217 
On the Method of Oviposition and the Egg of Lyctus brunneus, Steph. By' 
A. M. Altson, F.E.S. (Oonununicated by Dr. A. D. Imms, F.L.S.) 
(Plate 12 and 2 Text-figures.) 
[Eead 15tli February, 1923.] 
Contents. 
Page 
Introduction 217 
Review of the Literature 217 
Material used , 218 
Mating- 219 
Oviposition 219 
The Egg 221 
Locating the Eggs 223 
Note on Lyctus linearis, Goeze 224 
Conclusions 224 
Summarj' , 225 
Acknowledgments 225 
References 226 
Introduction. 
In April 1920, the writer commenced an investigation on Lyctus — Powder- 
post— beetles attacking seasoned hardwoods, with a view to devising control 
measures against their ravages. 
This paper is a part of one originally written dealing with all those various 
aspects of L. brunneus which had not been recorded, but owing to the cost 
of getting the whole published, it has been found necessarj^ to cut it up into . 
sections, and this constitutes the first part. 
There are two species of beetles of the genus Lyctus, family Lyctidas, so 
far recorded in the British Isles. They are Lyctus (Xylotivgus) brunneus, 
Steph., and Lyctus linearis, Goeze (canaliculatus, Fab., oblongus, Oliv., 
striatvs, Melsh., unipunctatus, Herbst). Both species breed in dry or 
seasoned hardwoods,usualiy attacking the sapwood only, although X. brunneus 
was found attacking the sap- and heartwood of mahogany (KJiaya sp.), and 
Noerdlinger (1862) recorded L. linearis as attacking sap- and heartwood of 
black locust (Gleditschia triacanthos) . 
In 1891 Fowler recorded L. brunneus as very rare, and Ij. linearis {canali- 
culatus') as common ; the contrary is now the case. Hopkins (1911) 
considers brunneus — now widely distributed throughout the world — to be of 
S. American origin, and linearis of European origin. 
Kevievv of the Literature. 
Amongst the mass of literature on Powder-post beetles, there has been very 
little published upon L. brunneus, and what there is deals mainly witJi its 
LINN. JOURN. ZOOLOGY, VOL. XXXV, 16 
