1917.1 7 



NOTES ON THE COLEOPTEBA RECOEDED FROM "RESIN ANIME " 

 BY THE REV. F. W. HOPE. 



BY G. C. CHAMPION, P.Z.S. 



In the Magazin cle Zoologie, 1842, pis. 87-89, the Eev. F. W. 

 Hope described and figured three beetles found in " Eesin Aninie," no 

 localities being given for any of them, nor any particulars as to the 

 source of the resin itself, except the statement that one of the insects, 

 Morwmma resinornm, was perhaps from Mauritius — Hab. : Forsitan in 

 " Insula Cemensiy A whole coloured plate was given for each beetle, 

 all drawn by Westwood, and details of structure added. These Coleo- 

 ptera have never been identified with existing forms, and are, in 

 fact, omitted from the Munich Catalogue. A special search for them, 

 or rather for the pieces of resin in which they are contained, has 

 recently been made in the University Museum at Oxford, at my 

 request, but only one [Calcar (?) inlvmnatus] can be found. The genus 

 of this latter can now be definitely stated, and some remarks on the 

 three insects may be of interest. 



1. — Momnnma rednorvm, pi. 87. There can be no doubt as to 

 the correct determination of this genus, Hyporrliagus being confined 

 to America. The unusually large, shallow, seriately-arranged foveae 

 on the dorsal surface of the elytra, if not unduly magnified, as seen 

 through the medium in which the insect is immersed, should render 

 the identification of the species possible. Numerous very similar 

 forms are found in Madagascar, S. Africa, the Philippines, Seychelles, 

 etc. ; but I have not come across one with the elytral foveae so large at 

 the base. The structural details given by Westwood on this plate, as 

 noted by him in pencil in a copy of the paper in the Hope library, 

 were taken from other specimens in the Museum, one of which is 

 there ticketed "Mad." {= Madagascar). 



2.- — Me(jalocera rubricoUis, pi. 88. Hope did not mention the family 

 to which this insect was to be referred, though a new generic name was 

 used for it. To judge from the figures, M. rnhricnUiii looks like an Oedem- 

 erid, but the very strongly serrate antennae resemble tliose of some of 

 the Lagriids, among which Lacordaire placed the genus. The elytra 

 are shown as strongly striato-punctate ; the protliorax oblong-cordate, 

 with acute, outwardly-directed hind angles ; the intermediate tarsi 

 S-jointed (6 joints are cleai'ly shown in the main coloured figure), and 

 the posterior tarsi 4-jointed, both with broadly lobed penultimate 

 joint ; the apical joint of the maxillary palpi oblong-ovate, with 



