Polygraphus major Stebbing, 1903

Buhroo, Abdul Ahad, 2024, A taxonomic monograph of subfamily Scolytinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Western Himalaya, Zootaxa 5533 (1), pp. 1-82 : 49

37. Polygraphus major Stebbing, 1903

( Figure 48 )

This species is diagnosed by the following morphological characters: ♀ frons plano-concave, with shiny surface and dense punctures throughout; tufts of long hairs around the upper margin of concavity almost touching each other at the middle of frons; eyes deeply emarginated; antennal club acute; pronotum 1.26× wider than long with distinct median line; basal margin substraight, lateral sides somewhat convex; surface shiny with dense punctures and scale-like setae; scutellum indistinct; elytra 1.52× as long as its width, 1.90× as long as pronotum, lateral sides subparallel upto basal three fourth, narrowing posteriorly with rounded apex; stria 1 distinctly impressed; other striae marked by minute shallow punctures, each with a microhair; interstriae with irregular minute punctures and granules, with vestiture of short scale-like setae; declivity convex and declivital interstriae 1 elevated, with uniseriate sparse granules intermixed with punctures; body dark-brown, body length: 3.33–3.40 mm, 2.46× as long as wide.

In males, the frons is without tufts of hairs but has a pair of closely placed tubercles on the middle of the frons; body length: 3.10–3.17 mm.

Remarks: The species can be distinguished from P. aterrimus by its tuft of hairs on frons.

Material examined: New records: India: 9 ♂ ′s, 4 ♀ ′s. Kashmir , Budgam, Yousmarg (33° 50.015′ N, 074° 40.131′ E, 7955 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 29.06.2011 ( KUIC) . Kashmir , Verinag, Halan (33° 29.365′ N, 075° 16.394′ E, 7132 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 29.06.2011 ( KUIC) . Jammu , Ramban, Batote (33° 06.844′ N, 075° 18.512′ E, 5318 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 21.05.2017 ( KUIC) . Kashmir , Baramulla, Tangmarg Dharhama (34° 03.121′ N, 074° 28.377′ E, 7955 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 25.05.2017 ( KUIC) . Kashmir , Kupwara, Marsary (34° 27.264′ N, 074° 00.987′ E, 6750 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 09.07.2017 ( KUIC) . Kashmir , Kupwara, Tangdhar (34° 23.527′ N, 073° 51.894′ E, 6525 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 10.07.2017 ( KUIC) . Kashmir , Anantnag, Daksum (33° 36.120′ N, 075° 27.595′ E, 8975 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 08.09.2017 ( KUIC) . Kashmir , Bandipora, Mastan Gurez (34° 37.728′ N, 074° 50.378′ E, 8410 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 17.08.2018 ( KUIC) . Kashmir , Bandipora, Chorwan Gurez (34° 39.242′ N, 074° 53.581′ E, 8275 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 17.08.2018 ( KUIC) .

Distribution: India: Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand. Bhutan, China, Nepal.

Hosts: Abies pindrow , Cedrus deodara , Picea smithiana , Pinus gerardiana , P. wallichiana ( Pinaceae ).

Figures

FIGURE 48. Polygraphus major. Female: dorsal view A, lateral view B; male: dorso-lateral view C.