OCR Text |
Show 1897.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA OF AFRICA. 567 Head finely granulate, the frontal elevations narrowly transverse ; clypeus with a central ridge; labrum piceous, as well as the apex of the mandibles; antennae extending to the middle of the elytra, blackish, the eighth joint flavous, basal joint elongate, thickened at the apex, second short, third twice as long as the second, fourth joint longer than the preceding two joints together; thorax twice as broad as long, the sides slightly constricted at the base, rounded before the middle, anterior angles furnished with a small tubercle bearing a single seta, the surface minutely granulate and finely punctured, testaceous, the sides with a narrow dark band not extending to the margins ; scutellum large and broad : elytra strongly and closely punctured, the sides with a strongly raised longitudinal costa, extending from below tbe shoulder to the apex, preceded by a deep longitudinal depression, a narrow sutural and another sublateral band, connected at the apex, metallic greenish: underside and legs testaceous; the femora above and the tibiae and tarsi fuscous ; tibias with a small spine ; the first joint of the posterior tarsi as long as the following joints together. Hab. Madagascar. This species is evidently allied to L. quaternus, Fairm., likewise from Madagascar, but is much larger, and differs in the colour of the antennae and that of the thorax, as well as in the green bands of the elytra and their strong punctuation, and in the pale underside. I received a specimen from Herr Brancsik of Hungary, another is in that gentleman's collection. LUPERUS NIGROSUTURALIS, n. sp. (Plate XXXIV. fig. 11.) Black, the basal joints of the antennas, the head, thorax, and legs fulvous ; elytra testaceous, finely punctured, the suture more broadly, the margins narrowly black. Length If line. Head impunctate, fulvous, the frontal tubercles only indicated ; the clypeus with a short central ridge; antennae extending rather beyond the middle of the elytra, black, the lower three joints fulvous, the third joint slightly longer than the second, tbe following joints elongate; thorax twice as broad as long, the sides rather rounded, the anterior angles somewhat oblique and thickened, the surface with a few very minute punctures, only visible under a strong lens, fulvous; scutellum black; elytra elongate and parallel, pale testaceous or flavous, finely and very closely punctured, the margins narrowly black, the suture more broadly so in some specimens : underside black, clothed with greyish pubescence ; legs fulvous, the first joint of the posterior tarsi longer than the following joints together, last joint and the claws infuscate. Hab. Mashonaland (67. Marshall). Coll. Brit, M u s . and m y own. Somewhat allied in coloratiou to the European L. nlgrofasclatus, G-oeze, but with entirely fulvous thorax and legs, and narrower elytral black margins. |