587 



Elytrurus samoensis sp 



Black, uniformly and densely clothed with pale sandy, dark grey or 

 greenish grey scaling, often with a slight coppery reflection, especially 

 on the legs. 



Female. Head with shallow confluent punctures that are concealed 

 by the scaling and a deep frontal fovea ; eyes much flattened, oval. 

 Bostrum a little longer than the head, strongly dilated from base to 

 apex, the sides straight; the dorsal area also dilated from base to apex, 

 confluently punctate and tricostate as far as the insertion of the antennae, 

 the apical part shiny and sparsely punctate. Antennae red-brown, the 

 scape rather sparsely setose and without true scales; the funicle with 

 two basal joints equal, the remainder subequal inter se ; the basal joint 

 of the club as long as the next two together. Prothorax as long as its 

 basal width, the sides subparallel from the base nearly to the middle and 

 thence roundly narrowed to the apex; the dorsum gently sloping anteriorly, 

 rather sparsely granulate on the disk but not at the sides, with a broad 

 shallow longitudinal impression, with sometimes a trace of a low median 

 carina. Elt/tra broadly ovate, widest before the middle and rapidly nar- 

 rowing to a fairly sharp point ; the dorsal outline moderately convex 

 longitudinally and transversely, the posterior declivity sloping compara- 

 tively gradually to the apex; the dorsum without distinct striae, even 

 when denuded, but irregularly set with minute flat inconspicuous granules; 

 the lateral margins very sharply inflexed, thus forming a more or less 

 obtuse lateral ridge, along which the granules are more noticeable; the 

 inflexed margins with a few very distinct oblique striae and rows of 

 granules. Stermirn and venter densely clothed with narrow lanceolate 

 scales and with sparse short obliquely raised setae. Legs : front coxae 

 broadly impressed in front, the upper anterior margin roundly produced; 

 the femora with sparse recumbent setae (mostly arising from small 

 granules), those on the lower surface rather longer and obliquely raised; 

 the front tibiae rather strongly incurved in the apical third, finely den- 

 ticulate internally and there armed with a row of transparent spines; the 

 hind tibiae almost straight and very feebly denticulate internally. Length, 

 12-14.2.5 mm.; breadth, 5.6-7.2 mm. 



Habitat. — Samoan Islands. 1876 (Rcx'. J. S. JJ'hifnicc). 

 Type in the British Museum. 

 Described from three females. 



Elytrurus samoensis var. setiventris n. 



Agrees entirely with the typical form, except that all the scales on 

 the venter and those on the median part of the meso- and metasternum 

 are setiform. 



Habitat.— Tutuila Island: One female, 760-900 feet (H. C. 

 Kellers). 



