OCR Text |
Show 1881.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA. 447 Two specimens are contained in my collection. Mr. Baly has lately separated the genus Pseudocolaspis into two sections, founded upon the convexity or concavity of the anterior margin of the episternum, retaining for the latter section Dejean's name of Eubrachys. The present species belongs to this group according to this arrangement. AURANIUS, nov. gen. Oblong-ovate, moderately convex; face perpendicular; eyes slightly emarginate; antennse half the length of the body, the last five joints dilated ; maxillary palpi subfiliform, apical joint elongate, its apex subacute; thorax subcylindrical, very convex, its sides dentate at the middle; elytra much wider than the thorax, narrowed posteriorly, longitudinally rugose, the interstices transversely wrinkled and deeply punctate ; legs short, robust, tibise widened at the apex and compressed, claws appendiculate ; prosternum longer than broad, narrowed at the middle, its base truncate; anterior thoracic episternum convex. Type Auranius robustus. On account of the anterior convex episternum, the present genus must be placed amongst the second division of the Eumolpidse. While it agrees in general form of the body with the genus Corynodes, the dentate lateral margin and great convexity of the thorax will easily distinguish it from that and any other genus of the second group of this family. 17. AURANIUS ROBUSTUS. Bronze-coloured, submetallic, pubescent below ; labrum, palpi, and antennse fulvous, joint 7 and the apical ones piceous; thorax coarsely longitudinally rugous, its sides tridentate; elytra oblong, irregularly longitudinally and transversely rugose. Length 4-4 \ lines. Hab. Brazil. Head elongate, closely rugose and strigate, space in front of the eyes with two transverse smooth raised elevations, anterior border of the clypeus truncate ; mandibular robust. Labrum and palpi fulvous, apical joints of the latter piceous. Antennse about as long as half the body, the third joint more than twice as long as the second, the seventh to the apical joints distinctly widened, fulvous, joint 7 and 10 and 11 piceous. Thorax subcylindrical, the anterior half very convex and raised, the elevation divided at the top by a narrow longitudinal groove from base to apex, lateral margin distinctly tridentate, the anterior angles subtuberculiform; surface closely and coarsely longitudinally rugose and deeply punctured. Scutellum broader than long, convex, smooth. Elytra much wider at the base than the thorax, gradually narrowed towards the apex, moderately convex, each elytron with about 6 rows of interrupted highly raised smooth costse, connected partly by other transverbe rugosities, the interstices'deeply punctured. Legs very robust, tibise greatly widened |