LEPIDIOTA GRACILIPES. 243 



NOTE XXXVII. 

 ON LEPIDIOTA GRACILIPES, SHARP. 



BY 



D. SHARP. 



In describing this insect [Col. Hef te XV. p. 78) I poin- 

 ted out that it should probably form a distinct genus , 

 and I said that »the prosternal process approaches that 

 of Lepidiota." This latter statement requires some ex- 

 planation, for on examination it appears that this in- 

 sect has no prosternal process while in Lepidiota there 

 is a well developed process. In Lachnosterna there is said 

 to be no prosternal process , and therefore it would appear 

 that the L. gracilipes might be placed in that genus. In 

 Lachnosterna however , the hind portion of the prosternum 

 stretches out, or grows out, more or less slightly back- 

 wards towards the mesosternum , and when there is a pro- 

 sternal process , (which is the case in several Eastern spe- 

 cies of the genus) it takes the form of a slender dependent 

 free projection placed at some distance behind the front 

 coxae. In the ordinary Lepidiotae the prosternum is very 

 short behind the coxae, and the prosternal process grows 

 out in close contact with this part of the legs. In Lepi- 

 diota gracilipes the prosternum is very short behind the 

 coxae, and assumes in the middle a slightly protuberant 

 form quite close to the coxae ; on account therefore of this , 

 the rudimentary prominence may be said to approach that 

 of Lepidiota. The insect however will no doubt form a 



^otes froin th.e Leyden ]VIuseura, Vol. III. 



