112 South African Beetles 
ASTATA TETRAGRAMMA, Chaud. 
Dr. Péringuey, on page 337 of his 2nd Supplement of the Coleoptera 
of S. Africa (1898)*, refers to the melanic form of the above as allied 
to Astata cognata, Pér. He has, however, entirely omitted to describe 
these melanic forms in his description of the species, pages 265-6 of 
the Catalogue. His only mention of a melanic form of this species, 
is his denial of Chaudoir’s assertion that Lebia immaculata, Boh., is a 
variety of A. tetragramma, Chaud. The Barker collection contains a 
good series of the varietal forms of the species. The four-spotted type 
form appears to be fairly constant in the size and shape of the spots. 
Var. A. with an inclination to a darkening of the ground colour has 
quite lost the anterior dorsal spots, and the sub-apical spots are much 
reduced in size; in one example the spot is sub-evanescent on the 
outer side, and only two intervals show the colour clearly. 
Var. B. The spots have entirely vanished leaving the elytra of a 
unicolorous black. 
ASTATA COGNATA, Pér. 
This varies considerably, as the description shows, from a deep 
flavus central space with defined borders to the extreme melanic type 
showing no trace of a lighter discoidal area. 
AstTaTa consors, Pér. 
The dark forms with unicelorous black or very faint traces of 
piceous red on the discoidal area, appear to be the commonest, as they 
are also the typical form of this interesting species. One example, 
however, shows a fairly well diffused rounded spot of piceous red on 
either side, a little above the middle, whence it is narrowly produced 
basally and reaches the shoulder. 
The habits of this species differ somewhat from the other Astata 
known to me. I have only taken it harbouring in reeds on river 
banks. The other species appear to affect, like most of the true 
Lebia, the bark of trees. 
ASTATA PICEIPENNIS, Motsch. 
This fine species shows no disposition towards variation. 
* Trans. S, Afr. Phil. Soc. X. 
