316 Mr. A. Murray on Coleoptera from Old Calaba?-. 



Melittomma castaneum. Fig. 1. 



Castaneum, elytris dilutioribus, opacum, levis- i 



sime punctatum, sericeo pubescens ; thorace 



elongate, fere parallelo, lateribus medio 



parum angulatis ; elytris 3^ thoracis longi- 



tudine. 

 Long. 9 lin., lat. 1^ lin. U^ 



Very close to Hijlocoetus brasiliensis of Castelnau, almost the only 

 distinction being that it is a very little smaller, darker in colour, 

 and that the posterior lateral margins of the thorax are sinuate, 

 while in brasiliensis they are straight and form a slightly obtuse 

 basal angle. It is a good deal like Htjlocoetus dermestoides, but 

 longer and of firmer texture, chestnut-coloured, the elytra paler 

 than the head and thorax, very finely punctate and fulvo-sericeo- 

 pubescent. The eyes are subtriangular in shape ; the granu- 

 lations interspersed with a short, fulvous, silky pubescence. 

 The thorax is a little longer than broad; the sides are slightly 

 angled in the middle, where it is widest, and slightly sinuate 

 both before and behind the middle; the anterior angles obtusely 

 rounded, posterior angles rectangular; the surface is finely 

 granulosely and very closely })iinctate, dull, with sericeous re- 

 riexion from the pubescence ; there is a slight depression on each 

 side behind the middle, and before it towards the anterior angles^ 

 and also before the middle on each side of the disk ; the sides 

 are very finely margined, most so posteriorly ; the anterior 

 margin is nearly straight, slightly emarginate in the middle; 

 the basal margin slightly bisinuate. Scutellum nearly oblong, 

 angles of the apex rounded. Elytra more than three times the 

 length of the thorax, rather more finely granulosely jjunctate 

 than the thorax, most so towards the base and shoulders, which 

 are very slightly shining ; there are four slightly raised costae, 

 besides a slightly raised sutural line and outer margin ; the two 

 innermost costaj are united together near the apex, and from the 

 point of union a single line continues obliquely outwards and 

 backwards a short distance, when it is united to the next costa ; 

 this last is very faint, and is least distinct towards the base ; 

 the outer costa is near the margin, and scarcely visible when 

 viewed from above. Each elytron terminates at the apex in a 

 peak, the termination of which is rounded. There is a slightly 

 raised sutural line ; but the space between it and the innermost 

 costa falls towards the suture. The underside is sericeous 

 and granulosely punctate, like the upper. The legs are very 

 like those of the Heteromerous genera Serropalpus, Phloiotroia, 

 and the neighbouring groups, as indeed are those of the whole 

 family of Lymcxylonidse. 



