OCR Text |
Show 1904.] OF THE GENUS HIPPORRHINUS. 137 " small seta?, the intervals faintly granulate; black, with alter- " nating lines of dense white scaling. Body punctured beneath, " black, with sparse white scaling. Legs rather long, stout, black, " obsoletely punctured, and with white scaling. " C A P E OF G O O D HOPE. Described from the collection of " Mr. Drege. " Less than half the size of Hipporrhinus subvittatus, notably " shorter, the rostrum differently constructed, the thorax short, " densely tuberculate, <fec." I have been unable to identify this species with any certainty, and the above description is taken fx-om Gyllenhal. 137. H. SUBVITTATUS Gyl. H. subvittatus Gyl. Schh. Gen. Cure. v. p. 774 (1840). H cinerascens Fahr. Ofv. K. Vet.-Ak. Fbrh. p. 212 (1871). Long. 12-14, lat. 5-6 m m . Head convex, closely and continently punctured, with dense brownish scaling, forehead rather flattened and with a faint central carina ; anteocular furrows absent. Rostrum not incised at base, as long as prothorax, slightly curved and dilated towards apex. Upper surface closely punctured and scaled, with five smooth narrow carina?, the three central ones converging towards base to form a distinct elevation; lateral sulci shallow, subtri-angular in shape and of about equal length, tlxe upper pair uniting at base; scrobes lateral, rather shallow; inferior basal furrow absent. Antennce with scape just exceeding posterior margin of eye ; the two basal joints of funicle subequal. Prothorax broader than long, apex narrower than base, sides distinctly rounded, broadest rather behind middle, dorsal anterior- margin truncate; ocular lobes almost obsolete. Upper surface convex, rather sparsely set with small elevated tubercles, leaving a distinct central furrow containing no carina; tubercles bare, with depressed pale seta?, the interstices with dense whitish or greyish scaling. Elytra narrowly ovate in d, broadly ovate in $ and acuminate apically, shoulders roundedly prominent, sides rounded, broadest about middle, apices jointly rounded in 6, slightly divergent in $ . Upper surface convex, tlxe stria? with rows of obscure punctures separated by minute granules, tlxe intervals slightly convex, coriaceous, with faint granulation later-ally, and all wrth regular-rows of depressed pale seta?; scaling whitish or greyish, usually with the intervals 1, 3, 5, and 7 more or less denuded. Legs wrth moderately dense pale setiform scaling; posterior tarsr wrth the 2nd joint rather naxrower than the other two, 2nd and 3rd sub-equal in length, 1st longer. N A T A L : Durban, Estcourt. TRANSVAAL : Lydenburg. T Y P E of cinerascens in the Stockholm Museum. I can only regard cinerascens Fahr. as a colour variety of this species lacking the conspicuous striping, as I can detect no other essential difference; moreover, I have found the two forms inhabiting tlxe same localities. |