432 Mr. A. ^lurray on Coleoptera from Old Calabar. 



Parandrida. 



Parandka, Latr. 



Parandra bcninensis, ^Iiut. Trans. Linn. Soc. 

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



Forvuginco-fusca, punctata, ]nnictis rugosis, oblongis vol qua- 

 dratis sen angulatis. (^ ignot. ? Capite Ironte inter 

 oculos tenuitcr canaliculata medio foveolata utrinque elcvata, 

 antice transversim excavata ; clypeo projie oculos utrinque 

 carinato, fere trilobato, lobo mediano obtuse subquadrato 

 j)rominentc ; mandibulis crassis, convexis, dentatis ; thoracc 

 transversim subquadrato, marginato, postice angustiore, 

 fortius et rugosius utrinque antice punctato ; utrinque bi- 

 foveolato, fovea luia versus medium })osita, altera deltoidea 

 ad basin ; angulis anticis subquadratis vix projicicntibus, 

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

 punctato ; elytris subtricarinatis. Subtus men to rugose ; 

 metastemo et segmentis abdominis glabris, nitidis, baud 

 punctatis, ad latera Ifevissime subpapillosis, 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 ^L Thomson under the name of P. gahonica (Arch. 

 Ent. ii. 145), which con-esponds 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 ; 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 Cucujidse 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 



