1907.] Catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa. 351 



black, opaque, and the markings on the elytra, pygidium, and under 

 side white. This melanic form is common. 



P. bi-punctata, Kr., does not seem to differ from P. simonsi. 



P. velutina was described by me from a very small example from 

 Natal clothed with a dense velvety coating, and having only a small 

 transverse white streak situated near the suture in the posterior 

 part of the elytra. I never saw but one example of this variety. 



Kolbe considers (Kaf. Deuts. Ost. Afrik., p. 180) P. simonsi as 

 a variety of P. leucomelana, but apart from the shape of the clypeus 

 and the vestiture of the head it is greatly differentiated by the shape 

 of the genital armature of the male, the clasps of which are simple 

 laterally in the latter, but are longer and sharply hamate at a short 

 distance from the apex in P. simonsi. 



Length 12-18 mm. ; width 8-8-| mm. 



Hab. Natal (Maritzburg, Eshowe) ; Transvaal (Zoutpansberg) ; 

 Southern Ehodesia (Salisbury, Sebakwe, Manica) ; also Nyassaland 

 and Eastern Africa (Zanzibar, Bagamoyo). 



Gen. ANOPLOCHILUS, McLeay, 

 Illustr. Zool. Afric, 1838, hi., p. 21. 



Diathermies, Kraatz, Deutsch. Entomol. Zeitschr., 1897, p. 402. 



Odontothyrea, Schoch., Mith. Schw. Ent. Ges. x., 1897, p. 50. 



Onychotarsus, Schoch., loc. cit. 



Sisyrapha, Kraatz, Deutsch. Entomol. Zeitschr., 1881, p. 264. 



Xeloma, Kraatz, loc. cit., 1881, p. 264. 



Mentum parallel, fused with the ligular part which is not narrower 

 than the mentum and is truncate at apex, labial palpi inserted 

 laterally on the outer face, last joint similar in shape to the terminal 

 maxillary one and either fusiform at the base and obtuse at the tip, 

 or fusiform outwardly only ; inner lobe generally long and hooked 

 at tip ; upper lobe of maxillae short and ending in two incurved 

 teeth ; clypeus as long as the head, slightly acuminate and more 

 or less distinctly pluri-dentate in front ; antennas normal ; prothorax 

 dehiscent in the anterior parfc, plainly narrowed laterally there, 

 sub-parallel thence, deeply sinuate above the scutellurn which 

 is very broad at the base, long and sharply acuminate ; elytra 

 broader than the prothorax, slightly narrowed behind, pluri-costate ; 

 pygidium broader than long, vertical ; mesosternum with a bluntly 

 knobby process ; legs moderately long, robust, especially the hind 

 femora ; anterior tibiae strongly tri-dentate ; basal joint of hind tarsi 

 very strongly dentate or spinose outwardly ; body short, massive, 

 head pubescent ; elytra glabrous, under side densely pubescent. 



