| OCR Text |
Show 1897.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA OP AFRICA. 241 dividing each puncture; in one specimen the last joint of the antennas is fulvous, the preceding ones fuscous, and the basal joints as in the type. LEMA SEMIPURPUREA, n. sp. Black, wdth bluish gloss ; antennas short; thorax with rounded sides, finely punctured; elytra purplish or bluish, deeply and closely punctate-striate, the ninth row entire. Length 2 | lines. Head wdth some deep punctures at the vertex, the latter with two obscure small fulvous spots, more or less distinct, and a central longitudinal groove, frontal elevations absent, the space surrounding the eyes rugose: antennas scarcely extending to the middle of the elytra, black, pubescent, the fifth and following joints rather robust and widened, one-half longer than broad ; thorax subquadrate, scarcely one-half broader than long, but very moderately constricted at the sides, the anterior half rather widened or thickened, but rounded, the anterior angles not produced, the basal sulcus deep, the space at the sides within the constriction transversely rugose, the rest of the surface finely punctured throughout, with some larger punctures intermixed ; scutellum not longer than broad ; elytra subcylindrical, without basal depression, metallic purplish or bluish, deeply and strongly punctured, the punctures large and closely placed, but diminishing at the apex, where the interstices are as usual, convex; underside and legs black, with a bluish gloss, tbe posterior femora only extending to the second abdominal segment. Hah. Mashonaland (67. Marshall). From the smaller metallic species of Lema from Africa, L. semipurpurea is well distinguished by the shape and punctuation of the thorax, the former is far more approaching to a cylindrical shape than is the case in most species from that region, although not to the extent that is found in two or three species ; the glabrous upper surface and want of an elytral depression separate the species from L. azurea, Klug, and its aided forms. LEMA TARSATA, n. sp. (Plate XVII. fig. 1.) Head, antennas (the basal four joints excepted), the breast, and the tarsi black; thorax flavous, foveolate, and punctured ; elytra deeply punctate-striate, flavous, the suture and the lateral margins bluish ; legs and abdomen flavous. Var. Elytra without dark bands, underside entirely black. Length 2 lines. Head black, strongly rugose and finely pubescent, the neck more or less fulvous, sometimes with a small black central spot, the space between the eyes with a deep central groove; labrum and palpi black ; antennas extending to the middle of the elytra, black, the lower four joints flavous, terminal joints rather robust, twice as long as broad; thorax subquadrate, one-half broader than long, the sides strongly widened towards the apex, the latter with a PROC. ZOOL. Soc-1897, No. XVI. 16 |
