OF SOME RHODESIAX TENEBRIONID/K. 87 



forms. Anterior tarsal claws siin|)le, without j)rojections. 

 Spines on inner margin of the various segments of the leg as 

 follow^s : — 



Tarsal claw none. 



Tibia 4 to 6, usually o or 6, moderately slender, 



sliarp. 



Femur (5 to 10, as broad as long, blunt. 



Trochanter 1 ; rarely wanting. 



Dorsal surface of anal segment straight or slightly convex 

 in profile, hairy ; chitinous processes in form of moderately 

 slender spines, placed dorsally and rather irregularly 

 disposed, being, how^ever, absent from posterior margin ; 

 pseudopodia pointed and prominent, armed with spines. 



The larvae are extremely active and have a curious habit, 

 when touched or alarmed, of twisting themselves violently 

 about for a few seconds after the manner of larvae of the 

 Dipterous faiuily Therevid?e. This habit has not been 

 noticed in connection with any otlier Tenebrionid larva. 



The food of the larva consists mainly of decaying vege- 

 table matter in the soil, but they will, like most members of 

 the family, bore into potato tubers when available. 



Life -hi story. — The beetles emerge mainly at the com- 

 mencement of the wet season, but do not lay eggs until 

 March or April. The larvae feed up during the winter and 

 pupate in October-November. There is thus one generation 

 in the year. The beetles have been recorded as attacking 

 maize seed in dry ground, and sometimes cause serious 

 injury to newly planted tobacco. They have a great fond- 

 ness for dead insects. The species is common on the 

 diorite around Salisbury and on both sandstone and granite 

 elsewhere. 



(2) PsAMM ODES.— Species studied determined as P. 



scrobicollis, Fhs.: and P. similis, Pering. 

 (a) P. scrobicollis (Plate IV. fig. 7; Plate V. fig. 7 ; 



Plate VI. fig. 7). 

 Oi^iun. — Dimensions 3-25 mm. X 1-4 mm. Opaque wdiite ; 

 tapering slightly at ends. 



