1902.] Catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa. 849 



of the dorsal abdominal segments uncovered ; propygidium very 

 wide, pygidium declivous ; anterior tibiae bi- or tri-dentate outwardly, 

 claws of the anterior and intermediate legs single and slightly cleft 

 (G. atomarla, fcmorata), or double and each cleft in the anterior only 

 (G. strigosa), but the claws of the hind legs are always single and 

 simple ; hind femora very robust and with the trochanters spinose, 

 the tibiae carinate undernea.th, and dentate or angular near the knee 

 (femorata, ornata, strigosa), or slender and simple; apical spur of 

 posterior tibiae distinct in the males of some species, absent in 

 others. 



The distinctive characters separating this genus from MonocJislits 

 are the longer club of the antennae, and also the shape of the mentum, 

 the apical part of which has the angles sharply dentate, but this 

 character does not hold good for all the species ; the shape of the 

 clypeus varies very much, and in several species it is quite similar to 

 that of some Monochelus ; the development of the hind legs and 

 trochanters, which are so conspicuous in Monochelus, is also to be 

 found in some species of Gymnoloma. The main characteristic 

 distinction as given by Burmeister, i.e., that all the tarsi have a 

 single claw, while in Monochelus, the anterior and sometimes the 

 median ones are double, does not hold good for all the species, either 

 in Gymnoloma or Monochelus. 



The genus stands as constituted by Burmeister, except that one 

 species, B. lineolata, has been transferred to another genus ; G. 

 elegantula, leucophcea and sulcicollis, Blanch., do not belong to this 

 genus ; G. elegantula belongs to Monochehts ; G. leucophcea to 

 Dichelus ; G. sulcicollis to Knysna ; this last species is identical with 

 K. humeralis, Burm. 



Key to the Species. 



A=. Hind femora with sharply spinose trochanters. 



B3. Clypeus triangular, sharp at the tip. 



C=. Anterior tibise bi-dentate outwardly in the male. 



Black, with the femora red ; elytra bi-costate on each side, 

 and having along the suture a partly obliterated line of 

 greyish scales femorata. 



Black, with the elytra testaceous, without scales, and 



plainly bi-costate tUnalia. 



B=. Clypeus obliquely narrowed, sinuate at the tip. 



Black, with the elytra chocolate-brown, non-costate, and 

 having on each side two discoidal and one sutural band 

 of greyish scales iJerplexa. ■ 



54 



