1898.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTEBA OP AFRICA. 221 



Elongate and parallel, the head impunctate, very sparingly 

 pubescent, the epistome not separated from the face, the vertex 

 bluish black with a small fulvous spot at the base, the entire 

 lower portion pale fulvous, this colour forming a large oval patch, 

 labriun of the same colour, mandibles black, the left one curved and 

 strongly pointed in the male ; theantennte proportionately slender, 

 black, the lower four or five joints fulvous, the third one smaller 

 than the second, the fourth longer again, the following ioints 

 transverse, moderately widened, the apical joints smaller ; thorax 

 at least twice as hroad as long, the sides strongly rounded as well 

 as the posterior angles, the surface transversely convex, smooth and 

 shining, flavous, impunctate ; scutellum broad, pointed at the apex, 

 black ; elytra subcylindrical, less shining than the thorax, finely 

 and closely punctured, with an oblique spot on the shoulder and 

 another transverse and curved spot near the apex, dark blue ; the 

 underside, femora, the apex of the tibiae, and the tarsi bluish black ; 

 the anterior legs elongate, as well as the tarsi, the first joint slightly 

 longer than the second. 



Fern. Head and mandibles of normal size, the tarsi less elongate. 



Hah. Malvern, Natal (G. Marshall). 



The structure of the mandibles and that of the legs seem to me 

 to place this insect in Lacordaire's genus Anisognatha, which has 

 been sunk into a synonym with Gipiandrophthalma in Gremminger's 

 Catalogue ; but if the structure of the tibiae and tarsi are of any 

 value at all, Anisognatha has certainly nothing in common with 

 the other genus and ought to be separated like many of the other 

 genera of Clythrince, else the already exceedingly difficult determina- 

 tion of these insects becomes almost an impossibility. 



Miopristis atrofasciatus Lac, likewise from Natal, resembles very 

 nearly the present insect in shape and coloration, but the mandibles 

 and the anterior legs and tarsi are differently structured, the tibi^ 

 are black, the elytra are nearly impunctate, and the markings are 

 of different shape and black. 



^THEOMORPHA ciERULEA, sp. nov. (Plate XXII. fig. 8.) 



Subcylindrical, metallic blue, pubescent below ; legs fulvous, tarsi 

 black; thorax strongly and irregularly punctured, obliquely 

 depressed ; elytra very closely and strongly punctured. 



Length 6 millim. 



Of parallel and cylindrical shape, dark metallic blue, the head 

 strongly and rather closely punctured at the middle, the eyes large, 

 the anterior edge of the clypeus semicircularly emarginate, labrum 

 black ; antennae extending to the base of the thorax, black, the 

 second and third joints obscure fulvous, very short, the other joints 

 strongly transverse ; thorax scarcely twice as broad as long, the 

 sides nearly straight, gradually narrowed towards the apex, the 

 posterior angles distinct, the disc rather strongly obliquely de- 

 pressed at each side in front of the scutellum, the basal margin 

 truncate at the same place, the surface strongly but irregularly 

 punctured, rather closely so at the base, much more sparingly 



