| OCR Text |
Show 1897.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA OF AFRICA. 547 strongly narrowed between the coxae; the anterior margin of the thoracic episternum concave. The small insect for which this genus is proposed agrees entirely in shape, pubescence, and colour with the species described by Lefevre under the generic name of Malegla : it is, however, not possible to leave the present species in that genus on account of the non-emarginate tibiae. Lefevre, in his diagnosis of genera of Eumolpidae, places Malegla in the group Leprotince, which he describes as having sometimes emarginate, sometimes simple tibiae; this arrangement seems to me, however, unsatisfactory, since the structure of the tibiae is a very important character amongst the Eumolpidae. Whether all the species described by Lefevre have the tibiae emarginate or not, it is impossible to say without seeing the types, since the author does not mention the state of the tibiae in his descriptions. In M. letourneuxl, Lefev., of which I possess a specimen, the tibiae are emarginate ; in M. turkestanlca, Beitter, of which a typical specimen is before m e , the tibiae are simple, and the species will have to be placed in Pseudomalegla. Whether the Natal species is really distinct from one or other of Lefevre's species is somewhat doubtful, as his descriptions of four or five lines do not allow m e to be certain in that respect, but as not even the generic characters agree, I must consider m y species to be distinct. PSEUDOMALBGIA LEFEVREI, n. Sp. Below nearly black, above aeneous; four lower joints of the antennae, the base of the femora, and the tibiae entirely fulvous; thorax minutely punctured ; elytra distinctly punctured in rows, clothed with whitish pubescence. Length f-1 line. Head minutely rugose and pubescent, the epistome not separated from the face; antennae not extending to the middle of the elytra, black, the lower four joints fulvous, the terminal five joints thickened, the third and following joints nearly equal; thorax scarcely broader than long, the sides rounded at the middle, without distinct lateral margins, the surface very finely rugose, clothed with whitish pubescence; scutellum very small; elytra much wider at the base than the thorax, much more strongly punctured than the latter, the punctation arranged in very closely approached rows, the interstices between the punctures not wider than the latter themselves and clothed with rather long whitish pubescence ; legs fulvous, the extreme apex of the femora and the tarsi black, the first joint of the latter as long as the two following joints together ; claws bifid. Hab. Natal, Estcourt (67. Marshall). COLASPOSOMA KRAATZI, n. Sp. iEneous, cupreous, blue or metallic green; the antennae nearly black; thorax strongly and subremotely punctured; elytra more finely punctate, the punctures arranged in semi-regular rows, the interstices slightly wrinkled; anterior femora subdentate. |
