OCR Text |
Show 1887.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA OF CEYLON. 71 vous; eyes entire ; palpi slender. Antennse filiform, fulvous, the third and fourth joints slender, nearly equal, the terminal joints very slightly thickened. Thorax twice as broad as long, the lateral margin distinct, the anterior angles produced into a short tooth ; surface covered with yellowish, slightly curved hairs like the head. Scutellum pentagonal, clothed with thick white pubescence, margined with piceous. Elytra wider than the thorax; closely and distinctly punctate-striate and pubescent like the thorax, between the shoulders and the scutellum at the basal margin a white spot is placed, four or five others limit the obscure dark transverse band below the middle. Underside thickly covered with white scale-like pubescence. All the femora armed witb a strong tooth; intermediate tibiae emarginate at the apices ; claws bifid. Galle, Balangoda. The shape and colour of this species are subject to considerable variation, some specimens being much more robust and broader than others. The elytral obscure band is just visible with the naked eye in most instances, and the spots which limit it above and below are variable in number, white or yellowish, and composed of close and thick pubescence; there are generally three placed above, and two below the elytral band. It is possible that Heteraspis a/bostriata, Motsch., may refer to this species, but the description of this author is too vague to recognize the species with certainty. DEMOTINA LEWISI, sp. nov. Fuscous or dark piceous, covered with yellowish scale-like pubescence ; basal joints of the antennse fulvous ; scutellum whitish ; elytra closely punctate-striate, each elytron with two more or less distinct rows of white spots. Length 2 lines. Antennae more than two thirds the length of the body, the third and fourth joints equal, the five terminal joints slightly thickened. Thorax twice as broad as long, the sides strongly rounded, the surface closely and finely rugose-punctate like the head. Scutellum thickly clothed with whitish pubescence. Elytra closely covered with yellowish scale-like pubescence, the punctuation distinct, close and arranged in rows; each elytron with two stripes of whitish pubescent spots, of which one is placed at a little distance aud close to the suture, the other at the middle of the disk and extenJing from the shoulder to the apex ; besides the pubescence single short black and stiff bristles are seen on the surface of the elytra. Legs dark fulvous, the femora with a distinct tooth. Galle. D. lewisi is smaller than the preceding species, the thorax is not depressed at the sides and without any stripes or other marks as in D. thoracica; the elytra are differently marked and without the transverse rows of spots as in the last-named species ; the punctuation of the elytra in D. lewisi is also much deeper and stronger : from I., semifasciata the absence of the elytral band sufficiently separates the present species. |