a survey of beetles damaging commercially impotrtant ... - Icrisat.ac.in

Small borers35Sinoxylon anale Les.(B ostrych idae)Xylothrips flavipes I I I. ( ,I )Rhizopertha dominica Fb. ( I, )Xyleborus similis Ferr. (Scolytidae)Platypus uncinatus Bland. (Platypod idae)Freshly cut logs with bark are very susceptible to the cerambycids,Batocera rufomaculata and B. rubus. The grubs initially feed between the barkand the sapwood making extensive cavities. Afterwards they penetrate intothe sapwood and the heartwood. The galleries run at first transversely andthen horizontally in the logs and measure 2 to 2.5 cms in diameter.Debarked logs and sawn timber were found heavily attacked by thesmall borers, especially Sinoxylon anale, Xylothrips flavipes (Bostrychidae) andXyleborus similis (Scolytidae). The status of Rhizopertha dominico, a commonstored grain pest as a borer of this timber needs confirmation.uncinatus (Platypodidae) bore deep into the heartwood.PlatypusThe common use of this timber in Kerata is in construction works, formaking brush handles, matches and packing cases, where the small borers,especially S .anale, is a serious problem.A large number of borers have been recorded as pests of this timber(Mathur & Singh, 1960-c). These include about 20 large borers belongingto Cerambycidae and about 50 small borers belonging to Bostrychidae,Scolytidae and Platypodidae.Large borersNilSmall borers35, Mesua nagassarium (Burm. f.) Kosterm.(M. ferrea Auct. non Linn )G uttiferaeCrypholus sp. (Sc ol yt ida e)Since this timber species was scarce in depots during the period ofstudy, very little information could be collected. However, in one instancethe scolytid, Cryphalus sp. was found to breed in the superficial layers ofsapwood.