S30, 
SIREX ? sp. 
Plate XXII, fig. 1. 
Classification :—Order, HYMENOPTERA, Family, Siricide. 
Tree attacked :—Santalum album (Sandal wood). 
The identification of insects in their larval or grub stage is 
by no means easy and very often impossible. Perhaps the two 
families of insects where such identification is possible to a 
certain extent are the Cerambycide and Siricide. To this 
latter family the sandal-wood-borer under consideration belongs 
The following is the description of the larva:— 
A thick pale, whitish-yellow grub, convex above and flat 
beneath. Head small, orange-yellow; mandibles black, rest 
of mouth-parts brown. Thoracic segments enlarged, the anterior 
- one being hood-like dorsally with a narrow neck of the same 
circumference as head where it joins on to this latter. Thoracic 
legs well marked and 3-jointed. There are no abdominal legs, 
but slight protuberances are present. Abdominal segments nine 
in number, the terminal one being enlarged, pointed posteriorly 
and ending in a brown spike which is black at its extreme tip; 
round its base is a circle of minute brown spikelets. Head, 
prothorax, and last two segments of abdomen shining. The 
segments of latter are bulged out at the sides, giving the gruba 
crinkled edge on either side. Length 14 inch. Grub probably 
not full size, Plate XXII, fig. 1, shows a dorsal and side view of 
the grub. 
Life-History. 
Little is known at present about this insect, No member of 
the family has ever previously been recorded as attacking the 
sandal tree. The larva was found in the heart-wood of a tree 
in the first week of August in the North Coimbatore sandal-wood 
areas and was not, I think, full grown. Unfortunately the wood 
in which it was found had been so chopped about that its gallery 
could not be satisfactorily traced in its entirety. | 
Sirex larvae usually only bore into dying or dead wood, 
but require this to be in a sound condition. The female 
