352 Mr. M. Jacobj on Phytophagous Coleoptera 



usual five, but the markings of the thorax seem to be of 

 different shape, according to the description, and the legs are 

 given as black ; tlie locality (Ashantee) also differs ; but for 

 all that it is possible that the present species is but a variety 

 of J/. Simoni. Mr. Peringuey has described another six- 

 spotted species, but gives the colour as " olivaceous " and the 

 size as 4-^ millim.; the legs are not mentioned. Lastly, 

 M. galla, Gestro (An.nali d. Mus. Civico d. Genova, 1895), 

 has the elytral spots differently placed and arranged in pairs. 



Melitonoma litigiosa^ Lac. Pretoria. 



EuMOLPIl<! 



r.^. 



Colasposoma fidgidurriy Lef^v. Barberton, Pretoria. 



The totally insufficient diagnosis given by Lef^vre of this 

 and of the many closely allied species, in which no mention 

 is made of the sexes, which differ so much in sculpturing, nor 

 of other details, does not enable the student to determine with 

 certainty the greater number of African species of CoJasposoma, 

 which are frequently only separated by small but evidently con- 

 stant structural characters. Of C./ulgidum I possess a typical 

 specimen named by Lelevre, wliich agrees in the main points 

 with his description ; but the author was evidently not aware 

 of the many colour-varieties which tliis species represents and 

 which cannot be separated in any way from the type. 



The latter is of bright cupreous colour above, with all the 

 margins of the thorax and that of the elytra narrowly dark 

 blue, the underside and legs of the latter colour entirely ; but 

 in the varieties, and they are the ones obtained by Mr. Distant, 

 the colour above is either metallic green, dark cupreous, or 

 blue ; the legs and the antennae in all specimens are dark or 

 pale fulvous, and the underside more or less asneous and 

 pubescent. These differences seem at first sight sufficient to 

 consider them specifically distinct, but tiie same variations in 

 coloration take place in nearly all other species of the genus, 

 and the sculpturing shows no such difference ; all the green- 

 coloured individuals have the margins of the thorax and of 

 the elytra narrowly cu])rcous, analogous to the blue margins 

 of the typical form. The principal character of distinction, 

 however, is to be found in the transverse rugosities of the 

 elytra, which in both sexes occupy the entire disk nearly to 

 the suture instead of the sides only, as is the case in many 

 other species ; the interstices and the thorax are distinctly and 

 closely punctured, but not " subcontlucTiter punctatus," as 



