1897.] of the Goleoptera of South Africa. 59 



ASYMOPLECTUS ATRATUS, 



Plate XVI., fig. 24. 



Moderately elongate, parallel, depressed, piceous ; antennae and 

 legs testaceous red ; head large, attenuate in front ; foveas large and 

 sulci slightly arcuate ; antennae moderately short, joints increasing 

 perceptibly from the third to the apical one and much thickened 

 at apex, while the club, however, is little conspicuous; prothorax 

 slightly cordate and subequal in width to the head ; elytra hardly 

 rounded laterally, external fovea sulciform ; abdomen moderately 

 short, convex and declivous, obtusely triangular at apex. 



Male : Third dorsal segment hardly double the length of the 

 preceding one, fourth much deflexed, the fourth ventral one with a 

 longitudinal carina from end to end, sixth symmetrical, tuberculate in 

 the middle and with the sides simple and oblique, seventh rhomboidal, 

 obsoletely carinate ; metasternum convex. 



Female, perhaps of this species : Eufous brown (immature) ; 

 head large ; third dorsal segment of abdomen hardly larger than 

 the preceding one, fifth ventral one shorter by more than one-half 

 than the fourth, sixth transverse and rounded at apex. Length 

 1 mm. 



This species is different from the others by its smallei' size ; the 

 antennae are shorter, and gradually thickening from the third joint 

 to the tip, so that the club, although of good size, is not so con- 

 spicuous. I am not sure, although I believe it, that the female here 

 described belongs to the same species ; the head is somewhat larger 

 than in the male. 



Hab. Cape Colony (Newlands. I have seen one example only of 

 each sex). 



Gen. ANOPLECTUS. 



Short, broad, depressed ; head large, antennal club hardly con- 

 spicuous, triarticulate ; prothorax cordate, trifoveate, and having 

 a strong transverse sulcus, longitudinal sulcus not conspicuous ; 

 elytra subquadrate, bifoveate at base and without dorsal stria; first 

 to fourth abdominal dorsal segments subequal, first ventral one cari- 

 nate between the coxae, second to fourth subequal, fifth minute, sixth 

 small in the middle and ampliate laterally ; male with a seventh 

 rhomboidal one, depressed and with a slightly oblique raised line. 



This genus has great affinities with Eitplectus, Asijmoplectus, and 

 Bibloplectics. It differs from Eitplectiis in having the dorsal seg- 

 ments of the abdomen very nearly equal, the basal ventral one 

 strongly carinate, the sixth not wider in the middle than the fifth 

 and no dorsal stria on the elytra ; the shape of the dorsal part of 



