MIMELA. 125 



Probably this species will prove to be very widely distributed. 

 It varies remarkably in size, but is rather constant in its curious 

 pattern. The beautiful metallic crimson suffusion is probably 

 always present in the living insect, but is not always persistent. 



110. Mimela bicolor, 



Miniela bicolor, Hope,* Trans. Eiit. Soc. Lend, i, 1836, p. 116- 



Burm., Handb. Ent. iv, 1, 1844, p. 542. 

 Mimela similis, Hope,* 1. e. 



Upper surface and pygidium pinkish yellow or red, with the 

 head and the sides of the pronotum bright metallic-red, and the 

 legs and lower surface (except the prothorax beneath) generally 

 entirely greenish or bluish black, but less frequently pale, except 

 the middle of the metasternum, base of the abdomen, aud the 

 tarsi. 



It is a small, short, ovate species, very smooth and shining, 

 and almost devoid of hair, the sides of the metasternum only 

 bearing fine and scanty greyish pubescence. The head is scantily 

 punctured, the clypeus broad and rugosely punctured, with its 

 extreme margin green. The pronotum is very finely and incon- 

 spicuously punctured, very short, witli its sides strongly narrowed 

 towards the front, and the front angles acute. The scutellum is 

 broad and very shghtly punctured. The elytra bear longitudinal 

 rows of very fine punctures, the interval between the 1st and 2ud 

 rows being broad and irregularly punctured. The pygidium is 

 very smooth and sparingly punctured, and the lower surface very 

 smooth and shining in the middle and finely and fairly closely 

 punctured at the sides. The mesnsternum is not produced, but 

 forms a minute sharp tubercle in front. The legs ai-e not long, 

 and the front tibia forms a long sharp terminal tooth, the upper 

 tooth being scarcely perceptible. 



cJ . The antennal club is rather long. 



Length, 12-14 mm. ; breadth, 8-9 mm. 



SiKKiM : Kurseong, GOOO ft. {E. A. JJ'Abreu, VerscJiraeqJien) ; 

 Nepal (types) ; Assam ( W. F. Bacljley), Pedong {A. Desyodins). ' 



Types in the British Museum. 



The colouring, although variable, is very distinctive and peculiar, 

 and the outline also is very inconstant, some (male) specimens 

 being extremely short relatively. The variability of the colourino- 

 of the upper surface is perhaps due to a darkening of the delicate 

 rosy-yellow tint after death, but in fresh specimens the elytra are 

 rather lighter than the rest of the upper surface. 



111. Mimela cyanipes. 



Paracrusis cycmtpcs, Newm., Maj^. Nat. Hist, iii, 1839, p. 366- 



Hope, Trans. Linn. Soc. xviii, p. 597, pi. 40, fig. 5. 

 Miinela cyanipes, Burm., Handb. Ent. iv, 1, 1844, p. 289. 

 Mimela ylobosa, Ohaus, Deutsche Ent. Zeits. 1905, p. 88. 



Bright red above and beneath, with a slight metallic lustre 



