OCR Text |
Show 400 M. JACOBY ON NEW SPECIES OF BEETLES. [June 19, fourth joint the longest. Thorax narrowly transverse, of equal width, the anterior and posterior margins parallel, the sides rounded near the base, slightly constricted in front of the anterior angles, the latter rather acute but not produced ; surface shining, impunctate, flavous, with a few very obsolete depressions when seen in certain lights. Scutellum oblong, its apex rounded, flavous, impunctate. Elytra not wider at the base than the thorax, dilated gradually towards the middle, with a rather obsolete depression below the shoulders, the entire surface covered with fine punctures, rather closely placed ; of an obscure dark violaceous blue, the lateral margins, apex, and the last third of the suture flavous, at the latter place this colour extends upwards in a pointed shape. Underside and legs flavous. This species, of which two specimens are contained in m y collection, is easily distinguished from O. limbata, Blanch., by the colour of the posterior part of the suture and by that of the antennae. The elytra are also less closely and strongly punctured in the present insect. There is a curious structural difference to be found in many species of the present genus, in regard to the elytral epipleurae, which in most of the smaller species are broad and concave at the base, but disappear gradually towards the latter half of the elytra ; in many large-sized species, however, as in O. 10-jmnctata, Billb., O. 12-maculata, Clark, &c, the elytra might almost be called simple, as the inner margin of their epipleurae is put so far back near the sides of the body that it can be seen only when the insect is held in a certain position. This character may perhaps be of some use in a future monograph of the many and closely allied species. 2. OIDES AFFINIS, sp. nov. (Plate XLV. fig. 4.) Broadly ovate, obscure fulvous ; terminal joints of the antenna?, abdomen, tarsi, and a longitudinal broad band at each elytron black. Length 3-4^ lines. Hab. Neilgherries, South India. Head scarcely swollen, impunctate with the exception of a few punctures in front of the eyes, transversely grooved between the latter ; the frontal tubercles very distinct and almost contiguous. Antennae longer than half the length of the body in the male, the third joint a little longer than the second, fourth joint distinctly longer than the third ; the four lower joints fulvous, the rest black. Thorax not more than twice as broad as long, the sides evenly rounded, surface rather convex, extremely minutely punctured. Scutellum trigonate. Elytra convex, widened at the middle, very distinctly and closely punctured, the interstices finely wrinkled; a broad black band extends from below the base to near the apex, without, however, touching any of the margins. Underside and legs obscure fulvous. Abdomen and tarsi black. Collection Jacoby. In colour this species resembles greatly O. dorso-signafvm, Clark, from Australia. |