OCR Text |
Show 1900.] FROM SOUTH AND CENTRAL AFRICA. 257 SERMYLOIDES UNIFASCIATA, sp. n. Elongate, fulvous, antennae (the basal joints excepted) black ; thorax transverse, narrowed anteriorly, extremely finely punctured ; elytra very closely and distinctly punctured, flavous, the margins, a triangular spot surrounding the scutellum, and a transverse band below the middle black. Length 5-6 millim. Head impunctate, frontal elevations broadly transverse, labrum flavous, palpi piceous; antennae long and slender, extending to about the middle of the elytra, black, the basal three joints fulvous, second joint small, the third, one-half longer, oblique at the apex, the following joints somewhat thickened, the terminal ones more slender ; thorax transverse, the sides obliquely narrowed in front, nearly straight, the surface microscopically punctured, fulvous ; scutellum fulvous, triangular ; elytra convex, nearly parallel, very closely punctured, flavous, the lateral, sutural, and apical margins black, a triangular sutural black spot surrounds the scutellum, below the middle is a transverse band, widened at the suture and at the sides and connected with the black margins, this band encloses a round spot near the apex, of the ground colour ; below and the legs flavous, all the tibiae mucronate ; anterior coxal cavities closed. Hab. Salisbury, Mashonaland, on Zizyphus (G. Marshall). This is the second African representative of this genus, the other species, S. maculata Jac, having been provisionally placed by m e in the genus Sermgla (Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1895, p. 333). The present species has lately been sent by M r . Marshall, and another careful examination proves the two insects with far more right to be placed in Sermyloides, which is distinguished by filiform antennae, incrassate penultimate joint of the palpi, a transverse non-impressed and anteriorly narrowed thorax, in having prolonged elytral epipleurae, mucronate tibiae, and an elongate posterior metatarsus, also by a very narrow and convex prosternum and closed anterior cavities; all these characters are present in the two African species, but the antennae have no incrassate and elongate third joint as is the case with the male in the typical form S. basalis. This is, however, a sexual character only, aud of no value in classification used by itself. All the species of the genus known until now are inhabitants of the Malayan islands. MONOLEPTA STRIATIPENNIS, Sp. n. Oblong, very convex; below piceous, above testaceous, the antennae (the basal joints excepted) black; thorax very short, remotely punctured ; elytra with extremely close rows of deep punctures, the interstices slightly convex ; legs testaceous. Length 2 | millim. Head impunctate, the frontal elevations transverse; antennae rather long and slender, black, the lower four joints more or less |