OCR Text |
Show 1887.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA OF CEYLON. 67 foveolate below the base, finely punctate-striate, a small spot above the shoulders fulvous. Var. The lateral margin and the apices of the elytra fulvous; femora testaceous below. Length 2 lines. Head finely punctured at the vertex, the parts of the mouth black. Antennae more than half the length of the body, black, the las two joints fulvous, third and fourth short, of equal length, tbe fifth joint double the length of tbe preceding. Thorax not longer tnan broad the anterior portion strongly swollen, its angles tuber-culitorm when seen from above, each angle furnished with a sin-le hair ; basal groove very deep ; the surface entirely impunctate. Elytra with a deep fovea below the base near the suture, the basal portion above it raised; the surface rather deeply punctate-striate, the punctures not very closely placed and diminishing towards the apex, the interstices slightly transversely wrinkled, longitudinally costate near the apices ; just above the shoulders at the basal margin, a small fulvous spot is placed. Legs black, the underside of all the femora fulvous. In the variety the entire lateral and apical margin of the elytra is of that colour. The elytra in this species have the same deep fovea as in L. cey-lonensis, but their punctuation is much stronger and the antennae have no fulvous basal joints; the thorax also is much more swollen anteriorly ; and the general coloration is different. LEMA DIFFICILIS, sp. nov. Below bluish black; head and thorax fulvous ; antennae black; elytra metallic blue, obsoletely depressed below the base, regularly and strongly punctate-striate, the interstices costate near the apices'; legs fulvous, stained with piceous. Var. Elytra fulvous, a sutural and lateral longitudinal band blue. Length 2 lines. Head with some fine punctures when seen under a strong glass; the vertex but little swollen, with the usual central groove, this latter short and superficial. Antennae more than half the leng'th of the body, black, the two lower joints stained with fulvous below, third and fourth of equal length. Thorax not longer than broad' the anterior angles pointed when viewed from above, the sides rather deeply constricted ; surface with a deep basal transverse groove ; the disk with two longitudinal rows of more or less distinct punctures, the sides with some punctures anteriorly only. Scutellum fulvous. Elytra with the base slightly raised and depressed below, the punctuation strong and regular, but more deeply impressed at the basal portion. Legs piceous, more or less stained with fulvous. Dikoya. L. difficilis cannot be considered a small variety of L. coroman-deliana, on account of the absence of the anterior thoracic groove. L. javana, Lac, is distinguished by the blue head according to the author's description ; in the present insect it is entirely fulvous ; the thorax also is almost broader than long, and the anterior angles are 5* |