OCR Text |
Show 1897.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA OF AFRICA. 265 thorax with a central silicate elevation, finely rugose; elytra with eight or nine strong tubercles, the disc wdth a fulvous or flavous oblique ridge, the interstices finely rugosely punctured ; pygidium foveolate-punctate. Length 1 line. Of posteriorly slightly narrowed shape, varying iu colour from fulvous mixed with piceous or nearly entirely of the latter colour, but the raised tubercles generally of paler coloration ; tbe head entirely finely rugose or closely covered with round punctures, which are more or less of whitish corrugated appearance at the vertex; eyes transversely and narrowly notched; antennas very short, fulvous, the second and following joints very short, the terminal five transversely shaped ; thorax with the middle portion raised into a high bump, the centre of which is longitudinally sulcate, from this elevation three or four oblique ridges run downwards at the sides towards the margin, all the interspaces betweeu these ridges are closely rugose like the head, and assume the same whitish appearance at the sides and in front of the elevation, the other portions remaining partly nearly black or fulvous, the lateral margins are nearly straight, the basal one is deeply sinuate at the sides ; scutellum strongly transverse ; elytra sculptured like the thorax ; with a strongly raised oblique ridge of flavous or fulvous colour at the middle of the disc, at the commencement and at the apex of this ridge, two or three tubercles, placed obliquely, are situated, which are partly joined ; of the other tubercles, a very highly raised one is placed at the base, one near the suture at the apex, and one near the lateral margin at the same place, as well as one at the sides close to the ridge near the middle of the elytra, the entire suture of the latter is finely serrate; underside and pygidium sculptured as the upper surface, the pygidium with several deeper dark-coloured foveas ; legs fulvous, stained with piceous ; tarsi entirely dark. Hah. Natal, Estcourt (67. Marshall). Three African species of Chlamgs have up to the present been described, from all of which C. natalensis differs in its coloration and peculiar sculpturing; in all specimens the curious whitish or mouldy appearance of part of the thorax and other portions is present, although variable like the coloration. EXPLANATION OF PLATE XVII. Fig. 1. Lema tarsata, p. 241. 2. „ marshalli, p. 239. 3. Hemydacne maculicoliis, p. 244. 4. Lachntsa marshalli, p. 251. 5. Miopristis natalensis, p. 245. 6. „ atrofasciata, p. 246. 7. „ subrugosa, p. 246. 8. Cryptocephalus natalensis, p. 255. 9. ,, westwoodi, p. 256. 10. ,, marshalli, p. 263. 11. „ livingstoni, p. 253. 12. „ bimactdicollis, p. 259. |