Scolytus 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 : 54-55

42. Scolytus major Stebbing, 1903

( Figure 54 )

= deodara Stebbing, 1903

= minor Stebbing, 1903

This species is diagnosed by the following morphological characters: ♂ frons plano-convex roughened with minute tubercules and longitudinal aciculations, surface with scattered hairs and median frontal tubercle above epistoma; the epistomal margin feebly concave with a tuft of hairs at the middle directing forward; vertex with dense, minute punctures; eyes much elongated with a wide shallow emargination anteriorly; pronotum slightly wider than long (1.09×), constricted and impressed on anterior lateral margin; surface convex, shining and finely punctate, rather somewhat rugose towards antero-lateral margins with denser and larger punctures than on pronotal disc; a median narrow, longitudinal, smooth area on disc and a few longish scattered hairs laterally in anterior portion; scutellum rather small, triangular and submerged; elytra 1.33× as long as its width, 1.45× as long as pronotum; base of elytral disc rugose, elytral striae and interstriae with punctures of approximately the same size; rows of erect interstrial hair-like setae evident from the base of elytra up to their apex; elytra impressed medially at base and slightly narrowed behind, the outer margins of apical fourth finely serrate, apices separately rounded; abdomen ascending gradually, the anterior margin of 1 st ventrite prominent and produced forwards and thickened, 2 nd abdominal ventrite convex, 3 rdand 4 th with a small lateral tubercle on posterior margin, 5 th ventrite flat; all ventrites with dense round punctures; body unicolored black; body length: 3.60–3.73 mm, 2.48× as long as wide.

In females, the epistomal margin is without a tuft of hairs at the middle but with a transverse, shallow impression just above the epistoma; frons is more convex with a few hairs on its surface; body length: 3.35 mm.

Material examined: New records: India: 2 ♂ ′s, 1 ♀. Kashmir , Baramulla, Darkash Tangmarg (34° 02.676′ N, 074° 28.360′ E, 6888 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 25.5.2017 ( KUIC). Kashmir, Kupwara, Semari Teetwal (34° 25.032′ N,

073° 48.148′ E, 3670 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 11.07.2017 ( KUIC). Kashmir, Srinagar, Hazratbal (University Campus), (34° 07′51.10 ′′ N, 074° 50′ 01.09′′ E, 5220 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 10.08.2019 ( KUIC) .

Distribution: India: Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Uttarakhand. Afghanistan, Pakistan

Hosts: Cedrus deodara ( Pinaceae )

Figures

FIGURE 54. Scolytus major. Male: dorsal view A, lateral view B; female: dorsal view C, fronto-lateral view D.