OCR Text |
Show 1904.] AFRICAN PHYTOTHAGOUS COLEOPTERA. 265 Hab. Ifafa Mountains, Natal (0. Barker). Very closely allied to S. sexplagiata Jac, likewise fx-om Natal, but without any elytral spots and their sculpturing entirely irregular, not arranged in rows, the flanks of the thorax also without the barrel of dense pubescence so prominent in the other species. I received three specimens from Mr. Barker. SCELODONTA LEFEVREI, Sp. n. Dark cupreous, pubescent, tlxe antenua? (the basal joint excepted) black; thorax densely transversely strigose; elytra strongly punctured in rowrs, the interstices rugose and pubescent, each elytron with five fuscous spots 2.2.1; femora dentate. Length 4 millim. Head finely rugose punctate and sparingly pubescent, tlxe vertex convex without groove, ocular sulci very deep and broad ; antenna? black, the lower three joints cupreous ; thorax transverse, of usual shape, strongly transversely strigose, the interstices sparingly punctured and furnished with single white hairs, cupreous, the sides with a vexy obscure fuscous band ; scutellum pentagonal, with a few hairs; elytra obliquely shaped at the shoulders, deeply and closely punctured in rows, the interstices transversely rugose, the shoulders, an elongate spot at the middle of the base, two roundish spots placed transversely below the middle and another moi'e elongate one near the apex at the sides, fuscous, interstices at the apex costate, sides of the thorax below and of tlxe breast densely pubescent; femora with a very short tooth. Hab. Beira, E. Africa (A. Sheppard). Nearly allied to S. vicina Har. and S. maculosa Lefev., but the position and the shape of tlxe elytral spots quite different, tlxe pubescence also much longer; the longitudinal elytral depressions in S. vicina are also absent in the present species, of which I received three specimens from Mr. Sheppard. CHEIRIDELLA, gen. n. Body oblong, pubescent; antenna? filiform, tlxe third joint twice as long as the second ; thoi'ax one-half broader than long, not widened, with distinct lateral margins, tlxe angles dentiform, surface pubescent; elytra finely punctured in rows, closely pubescent, femora thickened, the anterior and posterior ones with a strong tooth, tibia? simple, claws appendiculate ; prosternum very narrow between tlxe coxa?, elongate, anterior margin of the thoracic episternum concave. There is no gx-oup of Eumolpidce into which the present genus can be satisfactorily placed, since the pubescent upper- surface agrees with that of the Heteraspince, in which the posterior tibiae are. however, emarginate and the claws bifid; in the Odontiona-piiuv the claws are appendiculate, but the intermediate tibiae are |