a few Melolon thine Coleoptera. 23 



The male is much less massive than the femile, with the 

 club of the antenna as long as the footstalk, all the tarsi long 

 and slender, and the abdomen longitudinally channelled 

 beneath. 



Larvae found feeding at the roots of cane have been sent 

 to me together with adult females of this species. 



Rhizotrogus pollens, sp. n. (PI. I. fig. 1.) 



Pallide flavus, capite fusco-rufo, tarsis pronotique medio plus 

 minusre rufescentibus ; oblorigus, nitidus, glaber, pectore pedi- 

 busque sat longe flavo-hirsutis, capite fortiter et confluenter 

 punctato, absque carinis, clypeo excavato, margine reflexo, medio 

 subtiliter exciso, lateraliter fortiter arcuato ; prouoto inaequaliter, 

 haud crebre, punctato, lateribus medio fortiter dilatatis, deinde ad 

 angulos omnes fere rectis, his obtusis, margine antico toto ciliato ; 

 scutello fere impunctato ; elytris baud fortiter aut deuse punc- 

 tatis, costa suturali angusta ; pygidio sparse erecte setoso ; tibia 

 antica tridentata, unguibus medio dente erecto armatis ; mento 

 postice carina semicirculari instructo. 



Long. 23-27 mm.; lat. max. 11-14 mm. 



S.E. Mauritius: Ebene Sugar Estate, near Reduit. 



This is closely related to R. gravis and has a marked 

 superficial resemblance to Gymnogaster buphthalmus, Bl., 

 from which it is easily distinguished by its 3-jointed antennal 

 club. It is narrower than R. gravis, paler in colour, and 

 less strongly and closely punctured upon the pronotum and 

 elytra. The clypeus is a little larger, feebly sinuated in the 

 middle of its margin, and the eyes are a little smaller. The 

 pronotum is rather flat and sparsely punctured, with its sides 

 still more strongly angulated in the middle and straight from 

 there to the front and hind angles, which are obtuse. The 

 scutellum is almost smooth and the elytra are lightly punc- 

 tured and very shining, with a narrow sutural costa only. 

 The pygidium bears a thin clothing of erect hairs, but is 

 scarcely visibly punctured. The mentum bears a semicircular 

 (not V-shaped) carina and the uppermost tooth of the front 

 tibia is more distinct than in R. gravis. The claws are 

 similar. 



As in the allied species, the male is more slenderly built 

 than the female, with the abdomen channelled beneath and 

 the tarsi longer. The club of the antenna is longer than 

 in the male of R. gravis, and the seventh joint is produced 

 into a short but distinct lamella. 



