112 MISC. PUBLICATION 6 9 8, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



In the economic literature this beeetle is listed under the common 

 name "lead cable borer." This species causes considerable damage to 

 the lead sheathing of aerial cables by boring round holes through the 

 lead sheathing from the outside surface to the paper insulation of the 

 wires within, causing the electric current to be short-circuited. In 

 many cases this injury is not noticed until after a rain, when the 

 water soaks through and causes the short circuit. In some cases these 

 beetles may attack and kill living trees. Rivers (1886) recorded the 

 adults of this species attacking dry lumber, particularly oak, and es- 

 pecially oaken wine casks, causing serious loss to the wine industry. 

 A detailed account of the biology of this species is given by Boving 

 (1922). 



SCOBICIA CHEVRIERI (Villa) 



Apate chevrieri Villa, 1835, Coleopt. Europae dupleta Sup., p. 49 (publication not 



seen. ) 

 Xylopertha chevrieri Jacquelin-Duval, 1859-1863, Genera Coleopt. Europe, v. 



3, Cat. p. 167 ; Lesne, 1900, Soc. Ent. de France Bui., pp. 10-12. 

 Scobicia chevrieri Lesne, 1901, Soc Ent. de France Ann. (1900) 69: 568, 592-595, 



tigs. 260, 423, 425, 433, 435 ; 1901, Abeille 30 : 103, 104-105, pi. 3, figs. 61-62. 



70-72 ; 1902, ibid. 30 : 125, Csiki 1903, Rov. Lapok. 10 : 19 ; Lesne, 1904, Abeille 



30 : 157 ; Reitter, 1911, Fauna Germanica, Kafer, v. 3, p. 304 ; Lesne, 1938, in 



Junk (pub.), Coleopt. Cat., pt. 161, pp. 57-58. 

 Apate capillata Dejean, 1836, Cat. Coleopt., eel 3 rev., p. 334. 

 Xylopertha foveicollis Allard, 1869, Abeille 5: 468; Watei house, 1888, Ann. and 



Mag. Nat. Hist. (ser. 6) 1:249. 

 Xylopertha pustulata Kiesenwetter (not Fabricius), 1877, in Ericbson, Natur 



gescb. Insect. Deut. Coleopt., v. 5, pt. 1, pp. 38-39; Zoufal, 1894, Wien. Ent. Ztg 



13 : 39 (part) ; Lesne, 1896, Soc. Ent. de France Ann. 65 : pi. 8, fig. 4 ; Schilsky 



1899, in Kuster and Kraatz, Kafer Europas 36 (93). 

 Scobicia pustula-ta Jakobson, 1913, Kafer Russland, pt. 10, p. 806, pi. 43, fig. 9 



Lesne, 1937, Soc. Ent. de France Bui. 42 : 239. 



The bibliography given for this species is not complete, as only the 

 more important articles are cited. 



Male. — Dark brown, usually with basal area of pronotum and elytra 

 reddish ; antennae, palpi, and legs (except sometimes tibiae) brownish 

 yellow\ 



Head flat, and finely, rather densely punctate on front, convex, 

 with fine, longitudinal, parallel costae on occiput, rather densely 

 clothed on front with very long, erect, brownish-yellow hairs, which 

 are shorter and inconspicuous on median part behind clypeus ; clypeus 

 slightly convex, constricted and longitudinally grooved at middle, 

 rather densely, shallowly punctate; clypeal suture distinct, sinuate; 

 eyes large. 



Pronotum wider than long, widest behind middle; sides broadly 

 rounded, more strongly converging anteriorly, with a small, broad 

 tooth at apical angles; posterior angles broadly rounded; surface 

 sparsely clothed with short, recumbent, inconspicuous hairs, smooth 

 and impunctate on basal half, sparsely, finely punctate or granulose 

 at middle along anterior margin, rather densely, irregularly dentate 

 on apical half, the teeth broad, semierect, variable in size, and rasplike. 



Elytra at base narrower than pronotum behind middle; sides 

 slightly expanded posteriorly, conjointly broadly rounded (obtusely 

 angulate when viewed from above) at apices; surface sparsely clothed 

 with recumbent, brownish-yellow hairs, which are very short and in- 

 conspicuous on disk, but longer and denser on apical declivity, finely, 

 densely punctate on disk, very coarsely, deeply punctate on apical 



! 



