the males, four are slightly more punctate than is visueil for A. 

 variegatum, one is slightly more punctate than the first foirr" 

 and the last two are so heavily punctate that, alone, there would 

 be little question of their identity as A. pomposum . Such spec- 

 imens, in addition to various queries already mentioned, suggest 

 the possibility that A. pomposum is a heavily punctate, mountain 

 or heavy forest subspecies of A. variegatum and that intergradation 

 does occvir. 



It appears that A. variegatum govurensis of Santos Dias 

 (l950B,19$/!Ji) is an intermediate form between the almost nonpunctate 

 A. variegatum and the heavily punctate A. pomposum . Santos Dias' 

 "description adds weight to the concept that A. pomposum is actually 

 no more than a varigint form or subspecies of~A. variegatum . Rearing 

 of progeny from isolated females in lowlands and in highlands and 

 transporting some of their progeny to different altitudinal levels 

 for development vmder different ecological conditions may solve 

 this question. 



Since the above was written, Santos Dias' (1953E) paper des- 

 cribing A. superbum sp. nov. has appeared. In it, A. variegatum 

 govurensTs is placed in synonymy under A. pomposiim . A. superbum 

 is considered to differ from both A. variegatum and A. poinposum 

 chiefly on the basis of size, depth, and distribution of puncta- 

 tions. Even more recently, the same author (1954H) has reaffirmed 

 the validity of his variety of A. variegatum , with no indication 

 of what he proposes to do about^A. superbum . 



On ecological grounds, A. superbum (or A. variegatum govurensis ) 

 might be a useful niche in wTiioh to drop the Sudan specimen and 

 certain other Central African lowland specimens. Variable and 

 confusing series of specimens still confront us. Unfortunately, 

 however, A. superbum does not answer the problems this material 

 poses. No recourse offers itself but to maintain the present 

 systematic status of A. variegatum and A. pomposum , undertake 

 biological studies suggested in the paragraph above , and only 

 then judge the presently considered questionable validity of A. 

 superbum as a real species and the range of variation in A. 

 variegatum and A. pomposum . 



_ 246 - 



