| OCR Text |
Show 1900.] FROM SOUTH AND CENTRAL AFRICA. 241 than broad; thorax three times broader than long, the sides rounded anteriorly, straight at the base, tbe anterior margin deeply concave behind the eyes, the surface sparingly punctured at the disc, more strongly and closely so at tbe sides, purplish ; scutellum small ; elytra semiglobose, the disc metallic greenish, the suture and the sides purplish, the punctures scarcely stronger than those of the thorax, arranged in distant rows near the suture, larger and more irregular at the sides, the lateral margins with a single row of deep punctures to the middle, from there to the apex impunctate, the epipleurae very broad, purplish ; legs triangularlv compressed, the prosternum narrowed anteriorly in shape of a ridge. Hab. IJmkomaas Mts., Pt. Shepstone, Natal (67. Marshall). This species must be closely allied to C. badeni Vogel, so far as a diagnosis of four lines will permit one to judge ; there are so many very closely allied species of Chrysomela to be found in Africa, that only a detailed description is of any use whatever. C. badeni is described as having the posterior thoracic angles obtuse, which is not the case here, where they are very distinct; this species has also the underside and legs black and the colour of the upper surface is not very pronounced but rather subdued ; in some specimens the lower joints of the antennae are more or less fulvous ; the sides of the thorax are somewhat strongly widened anteriorly and distinctly broader than the middle portion. PSEUDOMELA NIGRIPENNIS, Sp. n. Fulvous, the apical joints of the antennae, the sides of the breast, part of the abdomen, the legs, and the elytra black ; head and thorax minutely punctured ; elytra opaque, silky, with a few minute punctures. Length 8 millim. Head very broad, fulvous, sparingly and very finely punctured ; antennae with strongly dilated apical joints, black, tbe lower four joints fulvous ; thorax twice as broad as long, tbe sides rounded, the angles distinct, the disc convex, very finely and remotely punctured; scutellum broad, obscure fulvous: elytra rather elongate, of entirely silky and opaque appearance, black, with some very fine punctures when seen under a strong lens, the suture and the epipleurae with moderately long fulvous hairs ; below and the legs black, the metasternum partly and the last abdominal segment fulvous ; claws simple, the anterior coxal cavities open. Hab. Cameroons. This is a species of entirely different sculpturing and coloration than any of its allies, and must find its place in Pseudomela according to the arrangement of Weise. LYGARIA TERMINATA, sp. n. Below, the antennae (the basal four joints excepted), the elytra, and the legs black ; head and thorax flavous, the latter very minutely punctured ; elytra finely and closely punctured, the interstices aciculate, the extreme apex flavous : claws bifid. |
