Mr. W. L. Distant on African Pentatomidae. 83 



Genus Eractheus. 

 Eracthem, StSl, Ofv. Vet.-Ak. Fork. 1861, p. 199. 

 Type, E. lutulentus, Stal. 



Eractheus rubromarginatus , sp. n. 



Head, pronotum, scutellum, and corium dull obscure 

 ochraceous, very thickly and somewhat finely darkly punc- 

 tate ; lateral margins of pronotum, basal area of costal 

 margin to corium, and the connexivum sanguineous, the 

 latter with the incisures margined with black ; apex of 

 scutellum dull ochraceous ; membrane pale fuscous brown ; 

 body beneath with the lateral margins of the sternum and 

 abdomen sanguineous, followed by a broad black submarginal 

 fascia, which is somewhat less strongly marked on the pro- 

 sternum and contains a large levigate pale ochraceous spot 

 near the anterior and intermediate coxae and a longitudinal 

 segmental series of five similarly coloured spots on the 

 abdomen, disk of abdomen brownish ochraceous, legs and 

 rostrum pale brownish ochraceous ; antenuse with the first, 

 second, and third joints stramineous, fourth and fifth fuscous 

 or testaceous, second, third, and fourth subequal in length 

 or third rather shorter, fifth distinctly longest ; greatest 

 length of head equalling breadth between eyes, the lateral 

 margins obliquely rounded ; scutellum with a small black 

 spot at each basal angle ; membrane slightly passing the 

 abdominal apex ; rostrum reaching the intermediate coxce, 

 its apex black. 



Long. 8 to 8^ mm. ; exp. pronot. angl. 5 mm. 



Hab. Congo Free State; Kambove (Neave, Brit. Mus.). 



A somewhat elongate species compared with the others 

 belonging to the genus. Allied to E. boris, Dall., but much 

 narrower between the prouotal angles. 



Eractheus spinosus. 



Pentatoma spinosa, Sign. Rev. & Mag. Zool. 1851, p. 442. 

 ? Eractheus centralis, Bredd. Soc. Ent. xviii. p. 115 (1903). 



Hab. Usambara (fide Bredd.) ; S.E. Rhodesia ; Gaza 

 Land, Chirinda Forest [Odendual and Hwynnerton, Brit. Mus.) ; 

 W. Africa. 



If I have rightly understood Breddin's description, and 

 with a comparison of a large number of specimens received 

 from localities on the West African Coast to Rhodesia, 

 there is little doubt as to the above synonymy. 



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