300 
COLEOPTERA. 
of all the evidence, the larva is grain-eating, the beetle predaceous, 
that it was once a grain-eating insect, became predaceous, but still 
can feed on grain if insects are not available. A. M. Lea records 
both larva and imago as feeding on caterpillars in Tasmania 
(1908). The larva causes a peculiar form of injury to wheat seed, eating 
out the embryo only and leaving the remainder of the grain intact. 
It is worth noting that it is found living in the open, the larva feed¬ 
ing on larvae that live under the bark of the oak and chestnut trees in 
Europe. Alindria parallela, Lev., is a larger black insect caught at 
light during the rains and Lardites chevrolati, Reitt., is to be found 
under the bark of trees. 
A. Leveillee has catalogued the family (Ann. Soc. Ent., France, 
1900, p. 1). He gives 17 species as found in the Indian region including 
Alindria (3), Melambia (4), Temnochila (1), Asava (1), Tene- 
broides (1), Acrops (3), Gryncharina (1), Ancyrona (3) . 
Monotomid^e. 
Two Darjeeling insects are recorded, Europs indica , Grouv. and 
Europs harmandi, Grouv. (Ann. Soc. Ent., France, LXXII, p. 123). 
Cucujid^;. 
Usually small brown flattened beetles, tarsi apparently four-jointed, the 
first joint often small. Antennce long, with a small 
club (often absent). 
These little beetles do not readily come into a general definition 
and are not easily recognisable. The family as a whole are found under 
tree bark, in decaying wood and attacking stored produce. Several 
species are found feeding upon grain and stored produce in India, 
and others have been recorded in Indian Museum Notes. The most 
noted is Silvanus surinamensis, Fabr., whose larva lives in dried 
fruit, flour, dried mohwa (the calyx of Bassia latifolia) and similar vege¬ 
table matter. The complete life-history occupies about 7 weeks ; the 
eggs are laid in the food, the larvae feed inside or between two pieces 
and pupate in a chamber closed in with bitten pieces of their food. 
This insect causes considerable annual loss in India, attacking Mohwa, 
