Top-dying of Sundri (Heritiera fames Buch. -Ham.) has been occuring in an epidemic form in the Sunderbans forest for about a decade. It was suspected, in course of a multidisciplinary investigation made in 1973, that injury done by Chrysocroa sp. (Buprestidae : Coleoptera) into the twig croatches could be the primary cause, which subsequently facilitated the entrance of a probable pathogenic fungus causing the disorder.

A study was, therefore, made to ascertain the role of insects in top dying of Sundri. On investigation no correlation could be established between the number of larval tunnels and the number of branches found dead (r=0.147). The results of the investigation suggest that these beetles do not have any role in the initiation of topdying of Sundri.