440 NEW SPECIES OF INDIAN PHYTOPHAGA 



TAPHINELLA BENGALENSIS n. sp. 



Below piceous, the basal joints of the antennae and the legs 

 flavous, above metallic dark bluish, the thorax impunctate, the 

 elytra finely punctured in closely approached rows. 



Length 4 mill. 



Head impunctate, the vertex convex, the frontal elevations broad, 

 strongly raised, sometimes of flavous colour, clypeus rather broad, 

 in some specimens flavous as well as the labrum, antennae 

 black, the lower three joints flavous, the third and following 

 joints equal, slightly longer than the second one, the apical two 

 joints wanting; thorax twice as broad as long, of equal width, the 

 sides strongly rounded, with a narrow margin, the anterior and 

 posterior angles produced into a small tooth, the surface very 

 convex, impunctate and shining, or with some very minute 

 punctures here and there, dark blue, elytra very closely and semire- 

 gularly punctured, more strongly so anteriorly, the interstices also 

 with some very fine punctures, legs flavous, the breast nearly 

 black, the abdomen more or less piceous, tibiae unarmed, the first 

 joint of the posterior tarsi as long as the following two joints 

 together, claws appendiculate, prosternum very narrow but distinct, 

 the anterior coxal cavities closed. 



Hah. Mandar, Bengal. 



I have placed this little species of the appearance of a Luperus 

 somewhat provisionally in this genus, on account of the elytral 

 prolonged epipleurae, the unarmed tibiae, narrow prosternum and 

 closed coxal cavities; the species differs somewhat from the typi- 

 cal form {T. nigripennis Jac.) described in the Genoa Annals for 

 1889 in the longer third joint of the antennae and the shorter meta- 

 tarsus of the posterior legs, but agrees in all other details, espe- 

 cially in the transverse, convex thorax with strongly rounded 

 sides and non snlcate surface. In regard to T. nigripennis the size 

 of that insect is wrongly given as two lines, it ought to be three. 



