284 PBNTATOMID.E. 



Length 18 ; breadth between prouotal angles 10 millim. 

 Hah. Ceylon {Green Sf Leiuis). 



Allied to A. hrunneus and A. obscurus, from both of which it 

 differs by the thick and deeply sulcate antennae. 



44S. Aspongopus nigriveutris, Westio. in Hope Cat. i, p. 26 

 (1837). 



Above and beneath and legs brassy-black with a cupreous tinge ; 

 very finely punctured ; pronotum and scutellum finelj" transversely 

 rugulose ; apical joint of the antennae ochraceous, second and 

 third joints subequal in length, shorter than fourth and fifth ; 

 posterior tibios slightly dilated about middle, a 



Length 19 to 21 ; breadth between pronotal angles 10 to 

 11 millim. 



Hah. Bombay ; Bor Ghat (DLvon). Malabar (Coll Dist.). 



Sago-Palm Bug. Usually hidden from view on the profusely 

 branched pendulous spadices of the Sago-Palm {Caryota ttrens, 

 Linn.). Greedily sucks the saccharine juices from the flowers, 

 and when in a comatose state is frequently attacked and caiTied 

 away bodily by the smaller ants, which devour the antennae, pro- 

 boscis, aud even the feet. This remarkable bug is the principal 

 agent through the aid of which the stigma in the Palm (C. urens) 

 is pollinated. Common in the Bor Ghat in April and May {R. M. 

 Dixon), 



449. Aspongopus sanguinolentus, Westiv. in Hope Cat. i, p. 26 



(1837). 

 Aspongopus circumcinctus, Walk. Cat. Het. iii, p. 488 (1868). 



Closely allied to A. nigrive7itris, but smaller, and with a broad 

 lateral abdominal and a narrow lateral sternal i-eddish-ochraceous 

 margin ; corium sometimes tinged with purplish ; connexivum 

 ochraceous ; exti-eme lateral margins of abdomen dull dark ochra- 

 ceous ; antennae black, second and third joints almost subequal 

 in length or second a little longer than third, fourth and fifth 

 joints longest, fourth distinctly thickened and furrowed ; posterior 

 tibiae not dilated. 



Length 15 to 16; breadth between pronotal angles 9 to 9^ millim. 



Hab. Assam; Shillong {Coll. Dist.). Burma; Karennee (i^<?a). 

 — Originally described from Java. 



450. Aspongopus fuscus, Westw. in Hope Cat. \, p. 26 (1837). 

 Aspongopus marginalis, Dall. List Hem. i, p. 350 (1851). 



Allied to^. sangxdnolentus, but a little larger and more elongate, 

 the ochraceous connexivum and lateral margins beneath with ob- 

 scure dark spots at the incisures ; antennae black, with the apical 

 joint ochraceous, very narrowly fuscous or black at base and apex, 

 third joint distinctly longer "than the second ; abdomen above 

 red. 



