OCR Text |
Show 1899.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA O F AERICA. 361 entirely black, the basal joint elongate and slender, the second and third joints short, equal, the following ones rather robust; thorax more than one-half broader than long, the lateral margins evenly rounded, posterior margin nearly straight, tbe angles not produced, the surface extremely finely and rather closely punctured, fulvous, shining ; scutellum black ; elytra slightly wider at the base than the thorax, parallel, fulvous, much more strongly and distinctly punctured than the thorax, the interstices slightly wrinkled or rugose ; underside and the basal portion of all the femora piceous ; tibias and tarsi flavous, the first tarsal joint of the posterior legs as long as the following two joints together. Hab. Malvern, Natal (67. Marshall). Bather larger than M. capitatum Jac, and differing from that species in the finely granulate head and the totally different shape of the frontal elevations as Avell as in the sculpture of the elytra; the male has the last abdominal segment incised at each side, the median lobe is smooth and slightly concave. MALACOSOMA GERSTAECKERI, sp. n. Below black or flavous, antennas (the basal joints excepted) black ; thorax subquadrate, nearly impunctate ; elytra extremely minutely and rather closely punctured. Length 3-4 millim. Narrowly elongate ; the head impunctate, rather darker than the other parts, the frontal elevations strongly transverse, the carina linear, very distinct, the palpi piceous ; the antennas extending beyond the middle of the elytra, slender, black, the lower three or four joints flavous, the second and third joints of equal length, one- half shorter than the following joint, the others of nearly the same length ; thorax one-half broader thau long, the lateral margins rather distinctly rounded and produced at the middle, straight at the base ; the disc with some extremely minute punctures, only visible under a strong lens; elytra broader at the base than the thorax, parallel, extremely finely punctured in closely approached irregular rows, the apex of each rounded; underside and legs flavous, or black Avith the last abdominal segment flavous only, the posterior femora rather thickened; all the tibias mucronate, the first joint of the posterior tarsi as long as the following two joints together, claws appendiculate, the prosternum extremely narrow and convex the anterior coxal caAities open. Hab. Frere, Estcourt, Malvern, Natal (67. Marshall). Smaller than M. capitatum; the head fulvous not black, the antennae Avith more slender joints and the thorax less transverse, more elongate, the metatarsus of the posterior legs also distinctly more elongate ; the underside varies from fulvous to black, the last two segments of the abdomen being only of the former colour in some specimens; the male organ is very narrow and slender and its apex only slightly pointed. The female is of more robust and slightly larger shape, and the last abdominal segment has a short and broad fovea at the apex. |