| OCR Text |
Show 1904.] AFRICAN PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA. 241 fulvous, the fifth and following joints strongly transversely widened ; thorax strongly transverse, slightly narrowed anteriorly, the posterior angles obtuse; the disc with an oblique depression on each side near the base, finely and sparingly punctured except within the depressions, where the punctures are stronger ; scutellum triangular, the apex convex, subtruncate; elytra sub-cylindrical, only visibly punctux-ed at the middle and near the suture; underside nearly black, the sides of the breast rather densely pubescent. Hab. Salisbury, Mashonaland (G. Marshall). Smaller than G. placidct Lac, and of quite different sculpturing ; also entirely dark violaceous-blue. GYNANDROPHTHALMA SCUTELLATA Weise (Wiegnx. Ax-ch. 1902, p. 127). I cannot separate this species from G. bicolor Jac (Proc Zool. Soc 1898, p. 217), according to Weise's description. I have since received specimens from Mr. Bax-ker, of Malvern, Natal, in which the basal third of the elytra is black and the remaining portions rufous. The species seems very variable in regard to coloration, and is probably identical with G. basipennis Lac GYNANDROPHTHALMA VARICOLOR, sp. n. Head black with a fulvous band ; thorax rufous, very minutely punctate ; elytra finely punctate-striate, black, the extreme basal and lateral margin at the shouldei's and an apical spot flavous; legs and abdomen fulvous ; breast black. Length 4 millim. Head black, with a ti-ansverse fulvous band between tlxe eyes, the vertex with a few punctures only, the lower pox-tion rugose-punctate and sparingly pubescent, anterior* margin of the epistome concave ; antenna? shox-t, entirely fulvous, the fifth and following joints strongly transversely widened ; thox-ax of nox-mal shape, the posterior angles obtusely rounded, the sides nearly straight, the disc extremely minutely punctured when seen under a strong lens ; scutellum black, triangular; elytra subcylindrical and parallel, distinctly punctate-striate at the anterior portion, the punctures nearly obsolete below the middle, black, the extreme basal margin, the lateral margins at the shoulders, and the apex flavous ; abdomen and legs fulvous; breast black. Hab. Dunbrody, Cape Colony (Rev. J. A. O'Neil). I received a single specimen of this species, which is pi-obably subject to great colour-variation like so many of its allies, but is well distinguished by the distinct punctate-striate elytra. The insect was obtained on mimosa-plants. GYNANDROPHTHALMA ELONGATA Jac Tlxe Rev. J. A. O'Neil has sent me several specimens of a Gynandrophthalma obtained at Dunbrody which I cannot separate from this species ; in spite of the breast being black, I cannot find any PROC. ZOOL. Soc-1904, VOL. I. No. XVI. 16 |
