OCR Text |
Show 1887.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA OF CEYLON. 85 APHTHONA CEYLONENSIS, sp. nov. Ovate ; obscure piceous ; antennae, the apices of the tibiae, and tbe tarsi testaceous; thorax transverse, very finely punctured; elytra more distinctly and very closely punctate. Var. Entirely obscure testaceous. Length \ line. Head impunctate; the frontal tubercles narrowly transverse. Antennse closely approached, nearly as long as the body, testaceous, the terminal joints more or less stained with fuscous, the third and the two following joints nearly equal, smaller and thinner than the second, the following ones slightly thickened. Thorax much broader than long, the sides slightly rounded, the anterior angles oblique ; the surface rather closely and finely punctured, the interstices extremely finely alutaceous. Elytra distinctly widened at the middle, rather convex, the shoulders rounded, closely and very distinctly punctured, the interstices somewhat rugose; the legs piceous, the tibiae more or less testaceous ; the first joint of the posterior tarsi as long as the two following together. Horton Plains. This very small species seems to vary much in regard to colour from nearly black to testaceous, and several intermediate degrees are before me. The ovate, anteriorly and posteriorly narrowed shape of the elytra and their close punctuation, as well as that of the thorax, and the small size of the insect will help in the recognition of A. ceylonensis. APHTHONA LEWISI, sp. nov. Fulvous ; antennse with the fifth to the tenth joints black ; thorax finely and subremotely punctured; elytra black or piceous, very closely punctured. Length 1 line. Head impunctate, shining, fulvous. Antennse two thirds the length of the body, the four basal joints fulvous, the following six black, the apical joint fulvous. Thorax twice as broad as long, the sides straight, slightly converging towards the apex, the anterior angles obliquely truncate, forming a distinct angle before the middle; the surface covered throughout with very fine but not very closely placed punctures- Scutellum obscure fulvous. Elytra nearly parallel, sub-cylindrical, the shoulders distinct but not prominent, the surface more distinctly and more closely punctured than the thorax; underside and legs fulvous. Bogawantalawa. A. lewisi may be known by the general coloration, the finely punctured thorax, aud the colour of the antennse, which agree in all the specimens before me. APHTHONA PROXIMA, sp. nov. Obscure piceous ; the five or six basal joints of the antennae fulvous |