24 
Indian Forest Records. 
[VoL. II. 
lighter brown. The front of the head is only very finely pitted in the 
male, but strongly punctured in the female. The thorax is strongly 
constricted at the sides behind the middle and has Jio median line. The 
apical margin of elytra is concave in male and in female truncate, with 
the outer edges produced into teeth curving inwards. The abdomen is 
concave behind in the female. Figs. 6, 6a, Plate VI, show this beetle 
side and dorsal view. 
Life History. 
The insect is to be found on the wing at the commencement of June 
at elevations of 6,000 feet. It tunnels into the Ban oak for egg laying 
purposes. The beetle appears to prefer trees which are dead but not yet 
absolutely diy, and it bores down through the thickest bark into the heart 
wood making circular tunnels, the sawdust eaten out being ejected at the 
surface of the entrance hole. A tree attacked can be easily detected by 
the presence of these small heaps of sawdust piled up on the outside bark. 
The tunnels may be quite straight or curved slightly. Both male and 
female beetles are to be found in the tunnel and pairing probably takes 
place inside. The female insect appears to live for some time after egg 
laying is completed, finally dying in the mouth of the tunnel and so 
blocking it to preilaceous enemies The eggs are laid at the bottom of 
the tunnel and the laivse feed on fungus growths with which the walls of 
the tunnel are discoloured. The tunnels are as much as 9 — 12 inches in 
length. 
This is all that is at present known about the life history of this 
insect. 
Damage committed in Forest by the Wood Borers. 
As will be seen from the little at present known about the life 
histories of these three wood borers, the damage they commit is entirely 
to the timber of the tree since the small portion of bast they eat through 
on their way to the heart wood is a negligible quantity. When 
plentiful the beetles entirely ruin the wood of a tree for timber purposes 
and greatly reduce the value of fuel stacks. 
Protection and Remedies. 
W hen wood is badly attacked by these wood boring beetles, the only 
safe method of destroying them and endeavouring to lessen their numbers 
in an area is to burn the whole of the infested timber and fuel. The 
