Mr. A. Murray on Coleoptera from Old Calabar. 44!3 



XXXIV. — List 0/ Coleoptera received from Old Calabar, on the 

 West Coast of Africa. By Andrew Murray, Edinburgh. 



[Continued from page 32(5.] 



Addenda to Nycteis and Belonognatha. 



Since my remarks on these genera were published (in the 

 April number of the Annals) I have received another species, 

 which confirms the view I there threw out that they should be 

 conjoined. The species now received has the elongate labrum 

 canaliculated at the apex of Belonognatha, and also has the man- 

 dibles longer and sharper than in Nycteis, although not quite so 

 prominent as in the other species of Belonognatha, while its form 

 is less tumid, and possesses the other characters of Nycteis, ex- 

 cept that the apex of the elytra is rounded at its emargina- 

 tion instead of being toothed. This combination of characters 

 renders it, I think, impossible to keep the two genera separate ; 

 or, at all events, if we do so, we must alter the characters, — we 

 must retrench the elongate mandibles, as well as the form of 

 the labrum and of the apex of the elytra, from the characters. 

 There is, indeed, a trivial character which separates the species 

 (after abstraction of the above characters) into two groups, 

 nearly equivalent to Nycteis and Belonognatha, viz. that under 

 a powerful lens we see that one group has the elytra finely acicu- 

 lated or reticulated, something in the same way as the Calathi, 

 while the other has the elytra polished and shining, without 

 this aciculation, and generally appearing metallic when looked 

 at from in front, and dark-coloured when looked at from be- 

 hind. My arrangement of this genus would therefore stand 

 thus : viz. — 



Nycteis. 



Essential characters the same as in Coptodera, but without the 

 middle tooth to the meutum. 



Subgenus 1. [Nycteis proper). 



Elytra finely aciculated or reticulate, and body not very con- 

 vex. Under this head fall — 



Coptodera flexuosa, Schmidt-Goebel, and probably all the 

 other Eastern Coptodera described by him. Coptodera bicincta, 

 Hope. Probably all the CafFrarian species described by Bohe- 

 man, Chaudoir's C. figurata, and possibly King's BeleojHerus 

 signatus, besides my species N. Championi, and the new species 

 (A^. intermedia), the description of which follows. 



