African and Asiatic Species of Melyris. 171 



would be equally well placed under M. natalensis, of the 

 same region. 



14. Melyris rufiventris. 

 Melyris rufiventris, Boh. Ins. Caffr. i. f. 2, p. 479 (1851). 



<$ . Ventral segment 5 with a transverse arcuate exca- 

 vation in the middle, broadly arcuate-em arginate at tip, 

 6 bi-i in pressed and triangularly emarginate, as is also the 

 apex of the corresponding dorsal segment ; median lobe of 

 sedeagus broad, pointed at tip. 



Hab. S. and S.E. Africa [Mus. Brit.), Salisbury (G. A. K. 

 Marshall) , Bulawayo (Mus. Brit.}, Zambesi (ex coll. Fry), 

 Limpopo {Wahlberg, sec. Boheman). 



In the series of forty specimens of M. rufiventris before 

 me, mostly from Salisbury, there are several males. This 

 species has the abdomen (except at or below the base in 

 some females, the terminal dorsal and ventral segments 

 being always black in this sex), legs (the tips of the tarsi 

 excepted), and about the basal half of the antenna? rufo- 

 tcstaceous ; the upper surface blue or bluish-green, thickly 

 pubescent ; the prothorax moderately convex, with obtuse 

 angles and a sharp lateral carina, the margins crenulate ; 

 the metasternum green ; the tarsal claws long, and armed 

 with a sharp tooth at about the middle; the tibiae fulvo- 

 pubescent. The length varies from 6-9 mm. 



15. Melyris quinqueseriata, sp. n. 



? . Elongate, broad, moderately shining, green, the 

 antennal joints 1-4 (except 1 in part), abdomen^ femora 

 (except at tip), trochanters, and anterior and intermediate 

 coxse rufo-testaceous, the rest of the legs and antennae black, 

 the wings violaceous ; above sparsely clothed with very 

 short, decumbent, fuscous pubescence, the lower surface 

 with longer hairs, those on the metasternum infuscate, the 

 abdomen also with a few long blackish hairs at tip. Head 

 short, rather broad, densely punctulate and reticulate ; 

 antennae short. Prothorax broader than long, trapezoidal, 

 the sides rounded anteriorly and sinuate behind, the hind 

 angles slightly extended outwards, the lateral carina sinuate 

 and reaching the base at some distance above the latter, the 

 base excavate on each side within the carina ; densely punc- 

 tulate and rather coarsely reticulate. Elytra long, much 

 wider than the prothorax, subparallel ; tricostate, the inter- 

 spaces with five rows of closely packed, moderately coarse 



