3903.] E. P. Stebbing — Discovery. of Thanasimus sp. prox. nigricollis. 105 



breeding in the bark of the trees, the depredator being Dendroctonus 

 frontalis. So greatly had the insect increased that healtliy trees were 

 attacked equally with sickly ones. Dr. D. A. Hopkins, Entomologist to 

 the West Virginia Agricultural Experiment station, made several tours 

 of examination of the infected areas, and his observations showing him 

 that there were no predaceous or parasitic insects of sufficient impor- 

 tance in the forests to cope with the attack, he suggested the importation 

 of some European ones. A study of the question narrowed this suggestion 

 down to the experimental introduction of T. formicarius, and with assist- 

 ance of some of the great Lumber Companies, who were being seriously 

 affected by the widespread deaths of the trees in large areas of forest 

 owned by them, funds were made available to enable Dr. Hopkins to 

 visit some of the European coniferous forests with a view to the collec- 

 tion of the clerid and its importation to the other side of the Atlantic. 

 This experiment was conducted to a satisfactory conclusion. I think the 

 above short note will prove that the discovery of the presence of a simi- 

 lar insect in the great and importaut coniferous forests of North Western 

 India is not without a considerable economic as well as scientific value. 



I give the following descriptions of the adult and larva : — 



Beetle. Elongate stout and robust. Head and antenna? black. 

 Antennae 11 jointed with joints slightly increasing in width upwards, 

 the last three forming a small club, the last joint of which is largest. 

 Prothorax black and hirsute dorsally. Elytra under the prothorax 

 broad, and rounded at their apices ; red on the basal quarter of their 

 length, then black, the black being twice crossed by white wavy bands, 

 the first a narrow one just above the juncture of the black with the 

 red colour, this band being reflexed backwards towards the apex and 

 not upAvards as in formicarius and in other species, and the other 

 a broad one placed about f of their length up from the base. There is 

 also a small white patch at the extreme apex. Legs black. Abdomen 

 a bright vermilion red, its segments very mobile. Body somewhat short, 

 flattened, pubescent. Long 6 7*5-9 millim. c? 9-11 millim. 



I would suggest, with Mr. Gorham's permission, that the species, 

 should it prove new (at this distance from the types I am unable to 

 speak with any certainty upon this point) should be named himalayensis 

 since it would be useful to mark the locality where so important an 

 insect to foresters was discovered. 



Larva. General colour a bright pink. Head brown, flat, man- 

 dibles black. A brown dorsal patch on 1st thoracic segment and pair 

 of brown spots situated dorsally on each of the two succeeding seg- 

 ments. The3e thoracic segments a paler pink than the following 

 abdominal ones. Latter nine in number, bright pink to reddish pink 



