168 
DINODERUS PILIFRONS, 
LESNE. 
THE BAMBOO BORER. 
Plate: Vill itis. 13a, eb. 
References :—Lesne, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. {(1895). Stebbing, Injur. Ins, Ind. 
For., 42—45. Fig. 26.! 
Classification:—Order, COLEOPTERA. Family, Bostrichide. Sub- 
family, Dinoderine. 

Plants attacked:—Dendrocalamus strictus and _ probably 
other bamboos. 
Description. 
I add the following to the short description of this beetle 
given on page 43 of /njurtous Insects : 
Beetle-——Long oblong, parallel, reddish brown with the ap- 
pendages and lateral edges of the abdomen lighter in colour. 
Long reddish hairs near the eyes and onthe clypeus (lower 
portion of front part of head). The upper part of the antennz has 
the same hairs. The teeth on the anterior surface of the pro- 
thorax are more or less pointed and projecting. Punctation on 
the elytra fine anteriorly, becoming much stronger at the 
posterior declivity. 
Length 34 to 32 millim, (See Pl, VIII, fig. 1, a.) 
Life History. 
This insect is one of the several small bamboo-borers of 
India. It infests the bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) in the 
Siwalik forests. This bamboo grows in clumps and is often 
seen to have towards its base the contorted shape shown in 
Pl. VIII, fig. 1, b, This may be due to congestion in the clumps, 
but the matter has not been satisfactorily explained as yet. 
Some pieces of bamboo contorted in this manner were cut green 
at the beginning of February and placed in a breeding box 
towards the end of the next month, By July the box was an 
inch deep in bamboo saw-dust amongst which were enormous 
numbers of the Dinoderus pilifrons beetles, which had bored 
their way out of the bamboos. On examination larvae were 
‘Given as Dinoderus -p. Since named by Mons, Lesne as Dinoderus piltfrons. 


