| OCR Text |
Show 118 ON PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA OF CEYLON. [Feb. 1, ( 2 ); their epipleurse continued below the middle. Legs slender elongate; the tibise unarmed; the first joint of the posterior tarsi longer than the two following joints together ; claws appendiculate. Prosternum invisible. The anterior coxal cavities closed. The insect for the reception of which I am obliged to establish this genus seems allied to Metrioidea, Fairm., on account of the closed cavities and unarmed tibiae; but differs in the proportionate length of the joints of the antennse, the third joint in Metrioidea being described as a little longer than the second and shorter than the fourth ; the first joint of the posterior tarsi is also longer than in Metrioidea. In the insect before me the female, on account of its different coloration, seems at first sight to constitute a different species. The general appearance of the present species is that of a Luperus. HAPLOTIA VARIPENNIS, sp. nov. (Plate XI. figs. 5, 6.) <$ . iEneous ; the base of the femora and tibiae and the abdomen testaceous; head finely punctured in front; thorax and elytra rugosely punctate. 2 - Testaceous, head and thorax aeneous; elytra irregularly punctured, testaceous with metallic gloss ; a triangular space at the base, surrounding the scutellum, and the lateral margin aeneous. Length lf-2 lines. Head broad, finely rugose at the anterior portion; labrum obscure fulvous. Antennae a little shorter than the length of the body, black in the male, obscure fulvous in the female. Thorax square-shaped, verv slightly narrowed at the base, the anterior angles acute, the posterior ones obsolete ; the surface flattened, closely and irregularly rugose, of greenish bronzed colour like the head. Elytra of the same colour, sculptured like the thorax, sparingly covered with some stiff hairs. Legs more or less piceous or aeneous, the base of the femora often testaceous, the posterior femora in the male extending to the apices of the elytra, but much shorter in the female. Nuwara Eliya. The antennae and the legs in the female are generally of a dark fulvous colour ; the entire underside is testaceous, or sometimes slightly stained with aeneous ; the sculpture of the head and thorax agrees with that of the male. The elytra are, however, not rugose or very slightly so, but generally closely punctured and of a pale testaceous colour, slightly tinged with metallic greenish; the base has a well-defined triangular spot, extending from the shoulder to the suture, of metallic bronze colour, the lateral margin and apices of the elytra being similarly coloured. Some specimens show a small testaceous lateral margin of the thorax, and two more or less distinct depressions at the disk of the latter. ANTIPHA NIETNERI, Baly. (Plate XI. fig. 7.) Balangoda. Typical and unicolorous unspotted forms. |
