Collection of African Blattidiie. 280 



This is one of the most interesting species in Mr. Distant's 

 collection. The male of the genus was previously unknown. 

 It is not unlike a large Termes^ and is so similar to the 

 description and figure of Derocalymma clypeata, Sauss. (M^m. 

 Soc. Geneve, xxiii. p. 142, pi. x. fig. 52), said to be from 

 Java (?), that I should not be surprised if it eventually proves 

 to be the same species. 



Pilema ihoracica. 



Terhphmria ihoracica, Walk. Cat. Blatt. p. 174. ii, 20 (1868). 



Pilema hebetata, Sauss. Rev, Suisse Zool. iii. p. 24, pi. i. figs. 2,2 a, b 



(1895). 

 (?) Blattafusca, $ , Oliv. Enc. M6t1i., Ins, iv. p. 315. n. 9 (1789). 



1, Pretoria {Distant). 



Tliis species agrees with Olivier's description of the insect 

 he considered to be the female of Blatta fusca^ Thunb., so far 

 as it goes ; but he did not mention the peculiar form of tiie 

 thorax, and I believe that the true B. fusca, Thunb. (a male 

 insect), has not yet been satisfactorily identified. 



Pilema Saussurei, sp. n. 



Long. Corp. 15 millim. ; long, et lat. pron. 6 millim. 



Female. — Head and thorax dark red ; vertex with four 

 black lines between the eyes ; the carinee of the overlapping 

 sides of the pronotum meeting at an acute angle in front and 

 projecting in a point behind ; sides of pronotum broadly and 

 shallowly guttered on the sides ; a well-marked carina on the 

 median line in front, Pronotum and first segment of abdomen 

 moderately closely and finely punctured ; pronotum mottled 

 with black in the middle ; the three thoracic segments witii an 

 interrupted black stripe towards the hind border ; abdominal 

 segments bordered with black behind. Antennae black, 

 reddish towards the base. Legs and abdomen beneath 

 testaceous yellow^ shining. 



1, Pretoria [Distant). 



The head is marked like that of Pronaonota fornicata^ 

 Sauss., but the generic characters prevent me from regarding 

 it as an immature form of that species. 



Stenopilema cylindrica (?). 

 Perisphceria cylindrica, Walk. Cat. Blatt, p. 176. u. 23 (1868). 



1, Barberton {Rendall). 



An immature specimen, probably belonging to this species, 

 but coloured like Pilema Saussurei (supra). It belongs to 

 the group of S. capucina, Gerst. 



Ann. tf; Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 7. Vol. v. 19 



