1902.] Catalogue of the Colcoptcra of South Africa. 829 



gidium conspicuous, pygidium vertical in the male ; anterior tibia3 

 distinctly tri-dentate outwardly with the teeth oblique, and the basal 

 one short, or bi-dentate obliquely, the basal tooth being obliterated ; 

 the claw^s of the anterior or intermediate legs are either single and 

 cleft (J/, s^wif/jcs), double and also cleft {M pruinosus, auran- 

 tiacus, natalensis), or single and cleft in the intermediate (M. 

 ornatus, Icetus, &c.), the hind claws are single and simple in the 

 male, except in M. gratus, and M. gracilis, but in a certain number 

 of species the claw of the median legs, which is single, but cleft, 

 has a distinct tooth underneath, and in one {M. calcaratus) it is on 

 the hind legs that this claw is toothed ; the hind legs are robust, the 

 trochanters are strongly spinose or are simple, and the hind tibiae 

 are either scooped or carinate beneath, dentate or not beneath 

 the knee, and more or less strongly mucronate at the apex ; 

 some species have an apical spur on the hind tibiae, others have 

 not. 



The insects I restrict to this genus form a very homogeneous 

 group. They are represented in the Western and Eastern parts of 

 South Africa, but the species which have a tooth under the claw 

 of the intermediate or hind legs are only found in the Eastern part 

 (Natal, Transvaal). 



Tw^o of the species included by Burmeister in this genus have 

 been transferred to other genera. M. parvulus is a Gymnolovia, 

 and M. collaris, w4iich is more closely allied to Platychelus than to 

 Monochelus, is placed in the new genus, Idutyioa ; M. sub-vittatus, 

 Burm., is the female of M. armipes. 



Key to the Species. 



A3. Claw of the intermediate and posterior legs without a tooth 

 underneath. 



B-. Clypeus not attenuate laterally. 



C-. Anterior tibias of male tri-dentate outwardly. 



D^. Hind femora with the trochanters produced into a 

 sharp spine. 



Black, very shiny ; elytra with a median and a 

 basal patch of white scales on each side, hind tibiae 

 with a truncate inner tooth near the knee and 

 an ante-apical long one, an apical spur ; hind 

 claws simple iilaherrimus. 



Similar to M. glaberrimus, but with the elytra 

 red ; hind tibije with two inner teeth near the 

 knee ; hind claws double (/ratiis. 



