458 On a new Species of Melolonthid Beetle. 



roots being then completely destroyed. They are capable of 

 moving from place to place, and a single liole has been 

 repeatedly cleared of tliem at short intervals. They are 

 found from 4 to 12 inches below the surface of the ground. 

 The larva when full-grown is about 25 mm. in length, witli the 

 head large, the succeeding (thoracic) segments wider and the 

 abdominal segments narrower. Previous to pupation it forms 

 an elliptical cell in the soih The beetle emerges in August. 

 It is nocturnal in its habits, remaining concealed beneath the 

 ground by day and flying at niglit to feed upon the leaves of 

 trees and slirubs. It does not appear to eat the leaves of 

 sugar-cane, but is believed to have a special liking for those 

 of Liberian coffee. The life-cycle is believed to be completed 

 in a year, Tliese particulars are taken from M. de Charraoy's 

 official report and from liis letters to me. 



The specific characters of the beetle are as follows : — 



Phytalus smilhi. 



Ljete rufus, elytris, abdomine femoribusque fulvis, cylindricus sat 

 elongatus, nitidus, corpore subtus breviter et rare pilose ; capite 

 baud magno, omnino rugose punctato, clypeo brevi bilobato, a 

 fronte sulco profundo diviso; antennis utriusque sexus similibus, 

 9-articulatis, articulis 2-6 brevibus, clava brevissima ; pronoto 

 modico brevi, sat grosse punctato, lateribus fere obsolete crenatis, 

 medio fortiter curvatis, baud angulatis, antiee rectis, contractis, 

 angulis omnibus obtusis ; scutello punctato ; elytris fortiter crebre 

 punctatis, costa suturali sat lata, fere laevi, aliaque dorsali obliqua 

 obsoleta ; pygidio eodem modo crebre punctato ; corpore subtus 

 crebre subtilius punctato, sed medio fere laevi ; prostemo postice 

 medio bidentato. 



Long. 14-17-5 mm.; lat, 7-9 mm. 



It is of the tawniy-red colour of the common P. obsoletus, 

 Bl., and many other species, the head, protliorax, and scu- 

 tellum being of a deeper red than the otlier parts, smooth 

 and rather shining, with only very sliort and scanty hairs 

 upon the lower surface. The general form and sculpture are 

 also very much as in F. ohsohtus, but the clypeus is a little 

 more notched in the middle of the front margin and much 

 more sharply divided from the forehead, and the elytra are 

 rather more strongly punctured. The antenna? consist of 

 nine joints, of which the scape forms fully a third of the 

 total length, the second joint is globular, the third to the 

 sixth short and diminishing progressively in length, the last 

 three forming a very short club, not longer m the male 

 than the female. Tiie claws are cleft into two nearly equal 



