432 Mr. A. Murray on Coleoptera from Old Calabar. 



Parandridse. 



Parandka, Latr. 



Parandra beninensi's, Murr. Trans. Linn. Soc. 

 xxiii. p. 452 (1862), pi. 47. fig. 7a. 



Ferruginco-fusca, punctata, punctis rugosis, oblongis vol qua- 

 dratis sou angulatis. ^ ignot. ? Capite fronte inter 

 oculos tenuiter canaliculata medio foveolata utrinque elevata, 

 antice transversim excavata ; clypeo prope oculos utrinque 

 carinato, fere trilobato, lobo mediano obtuse subquadrato 

 prominente ; mandibulis crassis, convexis, dentatis ; tliorace 

 transversim subquadrato, marginato, postice angustiore, 

 fortius et rugosius utrinque antice punctato ; utrinque bi- 

 fbveolato, fovea una versus medium posita, altera deltoidea 

 ad basin ; angulis anticis subquadratis vix projicientibus, 

 posticis obtusis, lateribus fere rectis ; scutello glabro, im- 

 punctato ; elytris subtricarinatis. Subtus mento rugoso ; 

 metasterno et segmentis abdominis glabris, nitidis, baud 

 punctatis, ad latera la^vissime subpa})illosis, prosterni lateri- 

 bus sparsim et parcissime et femoribus sat crebre leviter 

 punctatis. 



Long 9 lin., lat. 3 lin. 



One specimen in my collection. 



There is another species of this genus, from Gaboon, de- 

 scribed by M. Thomson under the name of P. fjahonica (Arch, 

 Ent. ii. 145), which corresponds with this in size and colour; 

 it is distinguished from it, however, by the form of the ante- 

 rior angles of the thorax, which in P. heninensis scarcely 

 project at all, and are subquadrate, while in the Gaboon spe- 

 cies they project acutely, and the sides of the thorax are slightly 

 rounded. It is, however, very nearly allied to it 5 and, from 

 the point of view of geographical distribution, they cannot be 

 regarded as other than climatal varieties of a representative of 

 the American Parandras. 



The distribution of the genus is remarkable, and deserves 

 attention ; for its character and facies are peculiar and well- 

 marked, and the genus isolated and without allies or relations. 

 So much is this the case that, although by very general con- 

 sent it is placed among the Longicorns, heretics have from 

 time to time appeared who think it ought either to be placed 

 by itself or in other company, as the Cucujid^e or Brenthidae. 

 Its isolation and well-marked facies are of special value in a 

 geographical point of view. No doubts or difficulty as to the 

 identity of the genus can occur ; it may be an aberrant form 



