1920.] 77 



Nine specimens, varying greatly in size, females only identified. 

 Extremely like P. cliloroptera, but wholly black and (when denuded) 

 more shining above, the antennae (?) shorter and with the ninth and 

 tenth joints transverse. The males in this genus, as noted by me else- 

 where in 1890, are not easily determined, the ventral segments in this 

 sex wanting the peculiar structui'es so evident in Anaspis. Various 

 other allied forms, including a small black species of the last-named, 

 genus, were found by my son in Almoi-a, but the examination of these 

 nnist be defended for the present. No representative of the group has 

 been recorded from India, so far as can be ascertained. 



Pentarla plalijcnema, n. sp. 



c?. Elongate, somewhat shining, very finely sericeo-pubescent; testaceous, 

 the eyes and the greater part of the abdomen black, the antennae iufiiscate 

 towards the tip ; densely, excessively minutely pnnctulate, the prothorax and 

 elytra also very finely transversely strigose. Anteimae long, gradually thickened 

 outwards, joints 9 and 10 about as broad as long. Prothorax transverse, with 

 the sides strongly rounded anteriorly and subparallel at the base. Elytra 

 moderately long, gradually narrowing from the base. Anterior femora stout ; 

 anterior tibiae (fig. 3) very broadly widened to about the middle, the dilated 

 portion subangular on both the outer and inner edges, concave beneath, abruptly 

 narrowed before the apex ; anterior tarsi somewhat thickened, couiparatively 

 short, joint 4 bilobed. The exposed narrow terminal abdominal segment 

 (? tegmen) furnislied with two slender processes, each with an inwardly- 

 directed seta at the tip, 



5. More elongate, the ventral segments, and sometimes the elytra also, 

 infuscate or Ijlackish towards the apex; the antennae a little shorter, joint 10 

 transverse ; elytra longer, less rapidly narrowed towards the tip ; anterior legs 

 not so stout ; the anterior and intermediate tarsi long and slender ; palps of the 

 ovipositor quite short. 



Hah. India, W. Alraora in Kumaon {H. G. C. : v.1917). 



One male and twenty females, the latter assumed to belong to the 

 same species. The very broadly subangularly dilated anterior tibiae of 

 the d is a character quite foreign to any other Anaspid known to me. 

 The general coloration is similar to that of P. gracilis Schilsky 

 (^=^)'f'ittfri Chob.), from the Araxes Valley, a much smaller insect, and 

 P. decolor Champ., from Mexico, a very similar form, both of which 

 have narrow anterior tibiae in c? . Two Central American species of 

 MordelUstcna have the corresponding tibiae simply widened in (S . 



Horsell. 



Junuary 15, 1920. 



