206’
tending to the base of the elytra, fulvous, the eighth and ninth
joints piceous, the second joint slightly longer and thicker than
the third; thorax more than twice as broad as long, widened
at the middle, the sides rounded, the surface deeply but not very
closely punctured, leaving a smooth central longitudinal space;
elytra slightly depressed below the base, rather lighter in colour
than the thorax, deeply and regularly punctate-striate, the interstices
impunctate but convex at the sides, the shoulders
prominent: underside piceous; legs fulvous ; prosternum longer
than broad, slightly narrowed between the coxse.
The two specimens obtained differ slightly in the colour of
the elytra, which are much paler in one than in the other; the
species is allied to M. chalceatus, Lefevre, but differs in the
more strongly punctured thorax, the flat interstices of the elytra
(the sides excepted), and in the fulvous legs. (M. Jacoby.)
Fam. C h k v som .e l iDj®.
Chrysomela opulenta, Reiche. Pretoria.
Polysticta clarkii, Baly. Pretoria; Durban, Natal.
Podontia nigrotessellata, Baly. Pretoria.
Fam. G a l e r u c id .e .
Aulacophora vinula, Erichs. Pretoria.
Hyperacantha oculata, Karsch. Pretoria.
Asbecesta cyanipennis, Harold. Zoutpansberg.
Sphatrbderma indica, Fabr. Pretoria.
AEnide'a pretorice, sp. n. Pretoria.
Monolepta flaveola, Gerst. Durban, Natal.
Spilocephalus viridipennis, Jac. Pretoria.
Ootheca modesta, sp. n. Pretoria.
Notes and Descriptions.
(By C. J. G a h a n , M.A., F.E.S.)
Ootheca modesta, sp. n. (Tab. I. fig. 11.)
Testaceous; underside of body (abdomen and sides of prothorax
excepted), legs, and scutellumblack. Sides of prothorax
slightly diverging from the base up to the anterior third, thence
converging to the apex ; pronotum convex, minutely and rather
thickly punctured, its greatest width about twice the median
length. Elytra minutely and very closely punctured. Abdomen
fuscous-testaceous. Underside of body and legs thinly
clothed with short grey hairs. Antennæ a little longer than
half the body, the third joint about equal to the fifth, the fourth
slightly longer, the sixth and following joints subequal or
scarcely perceptibly diminishing in length, each shorter than the
fifth; each of the joints from the third to the tenth slightly
thickened towards the apex.
Epipleures of elytra moderately broad in front, gradually
narrowed posteriorly, and entirely disappearing just beyond the
middle. Tibiæ unarmed. First joint of posterior tarsi equal
in length to the two succeeding joints united. Anterior cotyloid
cavities closed in behind.
Long. 51 millim.
This species is smaller than 0. mutabilis, Sahib. (Peric. Entom.
Species Insect. (1823) p. 64, pi. 3. figs. 8-10), the prothorax is
less rounded at the sides and the whole insect less ovate in
form ; but it agrees with that species in having short elytral
epipleures, closed anterior cotyloid cavities, appendiculate claws.
So that, on the whole (considering 0. mutabilis, Sahib., as
the type of the genus), the present species seems best placed in
Ootheca.
Chapuis, in his characterization of this genus (‘ Genera des
Coléoptères/ xi. p. 173), has stated that the anterior cotyloid
cavities are open behind. But this statement cannot be
accepted as correct, unless Chapuis was mistaken in his identification
of Crioceris mutabilis, Sahib., the species which he
names as the type of his genus. (C. J. G.)
Spilocephalus viridipennis, Jacoby. (Tab. I. fig. 12.)
Spilocephalus viridipennis, Jacoby, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1888, p. 202,
pi. vii. fig. 12 ( $ ?).
Mr. Distant has taken one male specimen which I refer with
some doubt to this species. This specimen not only differs
from the type by certain well-marked characters which I con