HELOTA TRIPARTITA. 



213 



the Asiatic Helota semifulva, fulvitarsis and difficilis, and 

 is easily recognizable by its coloration : head and prothorax 

 purplish blue, larger basal half of elytra fulvous, smaller 

 apical half of elytra purplish blue. 



Length 13mm. — Elongate; shining; fulvous, with the 

 head, prothorax, scutellum and basal edge and smaller 

 apical half of elytra dark purplish blue; mandibles, antennae, 

 trochanters, knees, extreme apex of tibiae and the tarsi 

 black, the apical margin of the last antennal joint and 

 the base of the claws fulvous; the line of demarcation 

 between the two colours of the elytra gently waved. 



Head broad, not so strongly produced in front of the 

 eyes as in the other African species, remotely covered 

 with large ovate punctures on the slightly raised middle 

 portion, more closely punctured near the eyes, very finely 

 on the narrowed front portion ; near to the front margin 

 two narrow transverse impressions are present and the 

 space between them (the extreme tip of the clypeus) appears 

 to be slightly raised. 



Prothorax slightly broader at the base than long, nar- 

 rowing to the front in nearly straight lines; the sides 

 flattened, broadest anteriorly, gradually narrowing towards 

 the base; the lateral margins finely raised, sharply crenu- 

 lated anteriorly; the anterior angles rounded, slightly pro- 

 minent; the base broadly bisinuate, each sinuation divided 

 into two smaller ones; the median lobe subtruncate, the 

 lateral angles acute, slightly bent inwards at the tip. Up- 

 per surface rather remotely and irregularly covered with 

 very distinct though not deeply impressed punctures which 

 are widely spread on the middle. The scutellum strongly 

 transverse, glossy and impunctate. 



Elytra parallel, broadly and conjointly rounded posteri- 

 orly, the lateral margins narrowly flattened from behind the 

 shoulders; each elytron with ten regular striae of strong 

 punctures which become smaller towards the apex ; the inter- 

 stices flat, rather sparingly covered with exceedingly fine punc- 

 tures; the shoulders and epipleurae apparently impunctate. 



Note» frotu the Leyden Bluseum, Vol. XXV. 



