OCR Text |
Show 1882.] SPECIES OF PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA. 57 Length 2-2£ lines. Hab. Australia. Head impunctate, with a short transverse groove between the eyes, the latter very large, black. Antennae rather closely approached, the four basal joints flavous, the rest piceous, joints 2 and 3 very short. Thorax transverse, the sides slightly rounded, anterior margin straight, posterior much rounded; surface impunctate, flavous. Elytra very closely and finely punctured, with a transverse rufous band at the base, the posterior margin of which is irregularly sinuate, and a small spot of the same colour situated behind the middle and close to the sutural margin. Underside and legs flavous. Breast shining black. Two specimens are contained in m y collection,received from the Mus. Godeffroy at Hamburg. MALACOSOMA, Chev. 12. M A L A C O S O M A POLITUM, sp. nov. Oblong, convex, black. Thorax fulvous, impunctate ; elytra testaceous, extremely minutely punctured; legs and antennae black. Length 3 lines. TLab. South Africa. Head black, pubescent, with a more or less distinct central longitudinal groove at the vertex. Antennae short and robust; the second joint the shortest; the third and fourth joints of equal length ; the rest subcylindrical, slightly thickened. Thorax transversely convex, its sides rounded, especially anteriorly, the anterior angles slightly tuberculate; surface convex, entirely impunctate, fulvous. Scutellum black. Eiytra convex, impunctate like the thorax, or visibly punctured only when seen under a strong lens; testaceous, very shining. Underside and legs rather thickly covered with yellow pubescence. The highly polished upper surface of the present species, which is totally impunctate, will distinguish it from M. lusitanicum, with which it agrees in coloration. Collection Jacoby. 13. MALACOSOMA QUADRIMACULATUM, sp. nov. Oblong, testaceous; antenna?, tibia?, and tarsi black ; elytra very finely punctured, testaceous, a small longitudinal spot at the base and a band from base to apex, greatly narrowed anteriorly, black. Length 3 lines. Hab. Natal. Head convex, very minutely punctured, with a distinct transverse sinuate groove between the eyes. Antennae half the length of the body ; second joint short; third and fourth joints elongate, of equal length ; the basal one fulvous, the rest black. Thorax narrowly transverse, nearly three times as broad as long ; surface distinctly but irregularly punctured, fulvous. Scutellum nearly semicircular, flavous, smooth. Elytra rather more finely and closely punctured than the thorax, of the same colour as the latter; each elytron with an elongate |