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SIX NEW SPECIES OF PLUSIOTIS AND ONE NEW 

 AKOPL OSTETHUS. 



By the HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD and DR. K. JORDAN. 



OF the twenty-seven species of Plxsiofis Burm. liithcrto known, the Tring 

 Museum contains nineteen, including the types of the following species : 

 P. resplendens Bone, batesi Bouc, aurora Bouc, lacordairei Bouc, auripes 

 Gray, boucardi Salle, prasina Bouc, sallei Bouc, rodu/uezi Bouc, badeni Bouc, 

 mniszechi Bouc. 



To this number we have to add six new forms described in this paper, so that 

 the genus Plttsiotis now consists of thirty-three species and one named variation 

 {PI. aurora ab. chrijsopedilus Bates). The apple green PI. ab. chnjsopedilus Bates 

 shows no other differences from the rich rose pinlc tyjie-specimen oi PL ourora Boui-. 

 besides colour ; and wc have the very striking fact to note that the green colour of 

 chrysopedilus changes into the red colour of aurora when the specimen is placed 

 between eye and light, and that on the other hand aurora olianges the colour into 

 green when in the same position. This phenomenon reminds one very much of a 

 similar one found in some species of Ornifhoptrra (0. croegus, uri-illeana, etc.). 

 The clay coloured or pinkish buff specimens of P. costata Blanch., adelaida Hope, 

 and P. crassimargo sp. nov., and the bright red P. optima Bates, do not show that 

 character. 



I. Plusiotis aurigans sp. nov. 



S. P. supra fortiter aurigans, splendidissima, clypeo et frontc, limbo lato 

 lateral! prothoracis opacis viuaceis ; infra vinaceo-lntosa, sntnris levissime virides- 

 centibus, subnitens ; pygidio opaco luteo-vinaceo. Clypens late rotundatus, apice sat 

 fortiter reflexus, densissime punctulatns ; cajjut multo sparsius quam clypeus 

 punctatnm ; mandibulae profnnde siuuatae, bidentatae (fere ut in genera Pdidnoia) ; 

 mentum quadraugulare, lateribns miuime rotundatnm, apice leviter emarginatmu 

 et pancis pnuctis instructum, medio lougitrursum vix dopressum. Prothorax sub- 

 aequaliter sat fortiter rotundatus, margine apicali ntrinriue valde sinnato, disco 

 conspicue punctato ; limbo vinaceo dense ruguloso-punctato, medio parum im])resso. 

 Elytra pone humeros hand impressa, maxima latitndiue in medio, parte basali 

 suturali excepta conspicue punctata, punctis in disco parum seriatim disjiositis, 

 dnabus seriebus conspicuoribus, callo apicali lato, supra leviter convcxo. 



Pygidinin densissime transverse rugnlosum, vix j)unctulatum. Processus 

 mcsosternalis sat longns, levissime arcuatus. Metasternum lateribns villosum, 

 grossissime rugato-punctatum. Alidomcn lateribns densissime striolatum, i)auce 

 punctatnm. Tibiae quatuor posticae jiunctis magiiis sctiferis instructae, nules, intus 

 pro certa luce laete caeruleae. 



Long. 29 mm., elytr. 20, lat. 10. 



Differs from all sj)ccies in the ricli golden colour of the upper surface, wliicli is 

 even much more golden than in P. renplenderiii Boucard. Otherwise P. nurignim is 

 allied to P. batesi Bouc. and P. cliri/sargyrea Salle, from both of wliich it is easily 

 distinguished, besides coloiu-, by the ratlier smaller head and broader pronotura, 

 by the punctuation of the elytra, very densely rugnlose jiygidinm and other 

 characters. 



