| OCR Text |
Show 1887.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA OF CEYLON. 95 Thorax narrowly transverse, three time3 as broad as long. Scutellum triangular. Elytra with a more or less distinct basal depression, semipunctate-striate, their epipleurae not continued below the middle ; the four anterior tibia? unauned, the posterior ones with a small spine ; the first joint of the posterior tarsi as long as the two following ones together; claws appendiculate. Prosternum distinct; the anterior coxal cavities closed. Pexodorus will enter Chapuis's eighth group, the Oxygonina, on account of the closed coxal cavities and the narrow transverse thorax. From Oxygona the genus is distinguished by the short ovate general shape of its body and the elytral epipleurae, which are obsolete below the middle. PEXODORUS CEYLONENSIS, sp. nov. (Plate X. fig. 10.) Black or metallic green ; the basal joints of the antenna., the four anterior legs, and the posterior tibiae testaceous ; thorax impunctate ; elytra finely and closely punctate-striate. 2 (?). Elytra with deep basal depression ; antennse entirely testaceous; all the femora and the posterior tibise black. Length l|-2 lines. Head rather broader than long ; the frontal elevations ovate, but little raised and small; eyes entire, of oblong shape ; clypeus rather flat; labrum obscure fulvous. Antennse two thirds the length of the body, testaceous, the three or four apical joints fuscous. Thorax rather more than three times as broad as long, the posterior margin slightly rounded, the sides narrowly margined, nearly straight, the anterior angles somewhat broad and slightly produced, furnished as well as the posterior ones with a single hair; the surface entirely impunctate. Elytra widened towards the apices, with a shallow basal depression ; the surface finely and very closely punctate-striate; the posterior femora strongly incrassate, piceous, the others and the tibise and tarsi testaceous. Prosternum narrow; mesosternum much broader, its base slightly emarginate. Dikoya. I am not quite sure whether I rightly refer two specimens, which differ from the others in the very deep elytral depressions and differently coloured legs, to the female sex. In the absence of other distinguishing characters it is as well to regard them as such. Some specimens are of a metallic greenish or bluish colour and the antennse are entirely flavous; in others the colour of the latter is nearly black; but I cannot discover any other differences of importance. PHILOGEUS (gen. nov. Halticinorum). Ovate, convex, subcylindrical. Anterior coxal cavities open ; eyes lar°-e; palpi robust; antennse with dilated apical joints. Thorax transversely subquadrate, with a shallow transverse groove near the base the anterior angles oblique, notched before the middle. Elytra finely punctate-striate, not depressed below the base. Posterior femora strongly incrassate, their tibiae dilated at the apices, with a shallow longitudinal groove, armed with a spine ; the first |
