OCR Text |
Show 1897.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA OF AFRICA. 543 The three specimens contained in my collection differ slightly in the amount of the interstitial punctures of the elytra aud in the more or less transverse shape of the thorax. The species is rather differently coloured than most of its allies but seems closely allied to M. chcdceatus, Lefev.; but in that species the joints of the antennae differ in their respective length, the clypeus is distinctly separated from the face and nearly smooth, and the whole upper surface is tinged with a gloss of aeneous colour. SYAGRUS NIGROSTRIATUS, n. sp. Below piceous, above flavous, the apical joints of the antennae and the knees black; thorax closely and strongly punctured, black at the disc; elytra strongly punctate-striate, flavous, alternately marked with black stripes, interrupted posteriorly. Length lg line. Head strongly punctured, flavous, the middle portion more or less black; clypeus fulvous or flavous, very strongly punctured, separated from the face by a distinct transverse groove ; antennae long and slender, black, the lower five joints flavous, the second joint thickened, curved, as long as the third, the following two joints slightly longer, terminal joints elongate, widened at the apex; thorax one-half broader than long, the sides strongly widened, forming a slight angle below the middle, the entire surface covered with large, round punctures, closely placed, blackish, the anterior margin aud the base more or less fulvous ; scutellum longer than broad, smooth ; elytra wider at the base than the thorax, slightly depressed below the base, very strongly punctate-striate, the punctures gradually diminishing in size posteriorly, those at the anterior portion closely placed and somewhat transverse in shape, the interstices more or less convex at the sides, the ground-colour flavous, the interspaces alternately marked with black stripes of various length, all abbreviated at some distance before the apex, and sometimes reduced to short elongate spots, their number varying greatly : underside piceous, shining; legs flavous, the apex of the femora and the base of the tibiae more or less blackish, femora with a very small tooth. Hah. Mashonaland (67. Marshall). S. strlatlpennls, Lefev., seems to be a closely allied species in regard to coloration, but is described wdth a smooth head and thorax; in the present insect both parts are very strongly punctured. Many species described by Lefevre, or rather diagnosed, have afterwards been placed by this author in Rhemhastus; but even now many species described as Syagrus, and the present insect is one of them, do not resemble in the shape of tbe thorax the typical species S. calcaratus, Fab., in which this part is subcylindrical; in many others the thorax resembles more the shape of a Colas-pis, but on that difference alone it would not be wise to establish another genus, although a revision of the genus will sooner or later be necessary. 36* |