OCR Text |
Show 1897.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA OP AFRICA. 555 very finely and closely punctured, the interstices somewhat uneven or wrinkled, opaque ; scutellum broad, triangular ; elytra slightly narrowed below the middle, more strongly punctured than the thorax, the punctures placed in very closely approached, semi-regular rows, the apex of each elytron subtruncate ; legs flavous, the posterior femora black, the metatarsus of the hind legs as long as the following joints together. Hah. Mashonaland (67. Marshall). British Mus. coll. and m y own. Of only half the size of the preceding species, with entirely flavous tibiae and tarsi and more opaque upper surface; there are three specimens before me, of which one is apparently immature, as it is of a brownish colour and with entirely flavous antennae. The specimens being glued to cards, I a m unable to say anything about the underside or the sexes, but they will be easily distinguished from the preceding insect. LONGITARSUS WOLLASTONI, n. Sp. Apterous ; obscure piceous below, above testaceous; antennae longer than the body; thorax subquadrate, impunctate; elytra very convex, widened at the middle, nearly impunctate, the disc with an obscure fuscous spot. Lensth 1 line. Head impunctate, the frontal tubercles small, but strongly raised ; clypeus rather broad, impunctate ; antennae rather longer than the entire body in the male, slightly shorter in the other sex, pale flavous, tbe second joint nearly as long as the third, the following more elongate; thorax about one-half broader than long, the sides quite straight, converging outwards or widened towards the apex, the anterior angles oblique, forming a tooth before the middle; posterior angles likewise oblique, but to a smaller extent, the surface impunctate; scutellum broader than long; elytra narrowed at the base and at the apex, very convex, not perceptibly punctured; the middle of the disc with a darker but very obscure round patch, gradually shadings into the groundcolour ; below nearly black, legs pale testaceous, the first joint of the posterior tarsi as long as the following three joints together. Hah. Madagascar, Diego-Suarez (Ch. Alluaud). LONGITARSUS AFRICANUS, n. Sp. Apterous; flavous, the apex of the posterior femora black; labrum piceous; head impunctate ; thorax finely punctured and minutely granulate ; elytra nearly similarly sculptured. Length 1-11 line. Head entirely impunctate, without frontal tubercles, the carina rather broad ; clypeus slightly thickened, its anterior edge straight, the labrum nearly black; antennae nearly as long as the body, flavous, the third joint one-third longer than the second and one-third shorter than the fourth joint, the fifth and the terminal joints very elongate ; thorax one-half broader than long, more |