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XIV. Contrihidions to a hnoivlechje of the Ilemipterous 

 Fauna of Madagascar. By AV. L. Distant. 



[Read June 4th, 1S79.] 



(PI. V.) 



Two of the first Hemiptcroiis insects described from this 

 large island and peculiarly-interesting zoological province, 

 Avere Plataspis Coccinelloides by Laporte in 1832 and 

 Ptyelus Goudoti by Bennett in 1833. Blanchard and 

 (jucrin both also added to our knowledge of this Hemip- 

 terous fauna; and Coquerel also described several species. 

 It was, however, Dr. Signoret, in the years 1860-61, 

 who first contributed any general knowledge on the sub- 

 ject. In two papers devoted respectively to the Ilomoptera 

 and Ileteroptera he enumerated most of the known species 

 and described many new forms. These were subsequently 

 nearly all re-described by Dr. Stal in his " Hemiptera 

 Afi^icana," in which work, and also in his later " Enume- 

 ratio Hemipterorum," several new species were charac- 

 terized. Further slight additions to our knowledge have 

 been made by Vollenhoven, Walker and myself. These 

 authors are almost our whole authorities, and though, in 

 the following paper, tw^elve other species are described, 

 yet all combined will possibly give but a poor summary 

 of the Hemiptera of this rich entomological fauna. We 

 must await M. Grandidier's great work for further 

 information. 



For these reasons it is futile to attempt any elaborate 

 generalisation as to geographical affinities of the whole 

 Hemipterous faima, the following merely refers to the 

 insects described in this paper. 



One genus, Ulpius, is peculiar to Madagascar, according 

 to our present knowledge. 



Two genera, Agonoscelis and Mictis, are also found in 

 the Ethiopian, Oriental and Australian regions. 



Three genera, Myfjdonia, Enltliares* and Platijjdeura, 

 are only found in the Ethiopian and Oriental regions. 



* This genus has probablj' a wider range. 

 TRANS. ENT. SOC. 1879.— PAKT IT. (.lULY.) V 2 



