62 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



DESCEIPTIONS OF SOME NEW SPECIES OF CLYTHRID^ 

 (PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA). 



By Martin Jacoby. 



The following species, which are contained in my collection, 

 and for the greater part belonging to the genus Melitonoma, I am 

 unable to refer to any of those described by Lacordaire or since. 

 The species are very difficult to separate, of nearly uniform 

 colouration, and very variable, so that structural differences are 

 the only reliable guard with the position of the elytral spots in 

 connection. 



Melitonoma tekminata, sp. n. 



Black ; thorax fulvous, extremely finely and closely punctured, the 

 base with a black band ; elytra more distinctly and very closely punc- 

 tured, fulvous, a spot on the shoulders, two placed transversely at 

 the middle, a transverse band near the apex, and the apical margins 

 black. 



Var. — Thorax entirely fulvous. Length, 6 mill. 



Hah. Bar el Salaam, East Africa. 



Of cylindrical shape ; the head black, impunctate, the vertex con- 

 vex, the lower portion finely strigose, anterior margin of the clypeus 

 nearly straight, labrum black ; antennas extending to the base of the 

 thorax, black, the lower three joints fulvous ; thorax strongly trans- 

 verse, narrowed at the sides, the latter rounded, as well as the posterior 

 angles, the surface extremely closely and finely punctured throughout, 

 the basal margin rather broadly produced at the middle, the disc 

 fulvous, the base with a transverse black band, which sends off up- 

 wards at each side a short branch ; scutellum black ; elytra extremely 

 closely and more strongly punctured than the thorax, fulvous, the 

 shoulders with one, the middle with two spots placed transversely, 

 another transverse band below the middle, the margins of which are 

 strongly sinuate, and the extreme apex of each elytron black ; under 

 side and legs black, or the tibiae and tarsi fulvous, 



I possess two specimens of this species, which differ in regard 

 to the presence or absence of the thoracic band and the colour of 

 the legs, but in no other way ; the closely and finely punctured 

 thorax and the apical black elytral spots will separate this species 

 from any other of the genus. 



Melitonoma capitata, sp. n. 

 Fulvous ; the breast, abdomen, and the femora black ; head and 

 thorax impunctate, epistome nearly straight anteriorly ; elytra very 

 finely punctured, with the usual five black spots (1, 2, 2). Length, 

 6 mill. 



Hab. Delagoa Bay. 



It will only be necessary to point out that this species differs from 

 any of its allies {M. epistomalis, Lac, excepted) in the entirely fulvous 



