368 Mr. W. L. Distant on 



PiXODARUS. 



(Fairm. Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 1887, p. 325.) 

 " Mandibles short. Eyes widely separated from one anotlier 

 above, coarsely facetted, and rather deeply emarginate. An- 

 tennae of the male reaching to a little beyond the apex of the 

 elytra; first joint rather short and stout, third nearly twice as 

 long as first and about one third longer than the fourth ; 

 fifth to tenth joints subequal in length, eacli slightly longer 

 than the fourth; eleventh joint almost half as long again as 

 the tentli. 



" Prothorax transverse, armed on each side with five or more 

 spines, abruptly and strongly narrowed to the base beliind the 

 posterior spine. Elytra rounded at the apex, epipleures 

 broad at the shoulder. Metathoracic episterna parallel-sided, 

 broadly truncate behind. Legs unarmed, except at the apices 

 of the tibise, where each is furnished with two terminal s[)urs 

 underneath, and with a small spine-like terminal process on 

 the up})erside. 



" This genus, though not fitting well into any of the minor 

 groups defined by Lacordaire, seems to conio nearest the 

 group Hopliderides, which is made up of the siugle genus 

 Uvplidtres, Serv." [J. C. Gahan.) 



Pixodarus 'pretorius^ sp. n. 



Head, antenna3, pronotum, scutellum, body beneath, and 

 legs black ; elytra ferruginous. 



Head rugose, very coarsely reticulate, front transversi'ly 

 sulcate ; antennae with the basal joint stout and coarsely 

 punctate ; remaining joints more finely and sparingly punc- 

 tate, gradually becon)ing more slender, and, with the excep- 

 tion of the very short second and the apical joint, witli tlieir 

 apices clavate. Pronotum transverse, wider than long, very 

 coarsely ])unctate, roughly rugose and intricate, lateral 

 margins lamitiately produced, prominently spined at anterior 

 and posterior angles, between which are about three very 

 small and obscure tubercles or spines ; anterior margin finely 

 and ochraceously pilose, with a j)rominent tuft of ochraceous 

 hairs near the lateral angles. Scutellum convexly nnnuled, 

 tibscurely tessellate. Elytra very finely and thickly punctate 

 and slightly scabrous; humeral angles rounded, a|)ices 

 rounded, lateral and sutural margins very narrowly black. 

 Apices of the tibiae and the whole of the tarsi beneath ociini- 

 ceously pilose. Body beneath thickly and finely punctate 

 and sparingly pilose ; head beneath rugose. 



ijong. 35 niillim. ; max. hit. elytr. 15 millim. 



llnh. Transvaal, Pretoria {Distant). 



The description i.-^ that of a single male specimen. 



