1897.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA OF AFRICA. 543 



The three specimens contained in my collection differ slightly 

 in the amount of the interstitial punctures of the elytra and in 

 the more or less transverse shape of the thorax. The species is 

 rather differently coloured than most of its allies but seems closely 

 allied to M. chalceatus, Lefev. ; but in that species the joints of the 

 antennae differ in their respective length, the clypeus is distinctly 

 separated from the face and nearly smooth, and the whole upper 

 surface is tinged with a gloss of aeneous colour. 



SXAGEUS SIGEOSTRIATUS, n. Sp. 



Below piceous, above flavous, the apical joints of the antennae 

 and the knees black ; thorax closely and strongly punctured, black 

 at the disc ; elytra strongly punctate-striate, flavous, alternately 

 marked with black stripes, interrupted posteriorly. 



Length 1| line. 



Head strongly punctured, flavous, the middle portion more or 

 less black ; clypeus fulvous or flavous, very strongly punctured, 

 separated from the face by a distinct transverse groove ; antennae 

 long and slender, black, the lower five joints flavous, the second 

 joint thickened, curved, as long as the third, the following two 

 joints slightly longer, terminal joints elongate, widened at the apex; 

 thorax one-half broader than long, the sides strongly widened, 

 forming a slight angle below the middle, the entire surface covered 

 with large, round punctures, closely placed, blackish, the anterior 

 margin and the base more or less fulvous ; scutellum longer than 

 broad, smooth ; elytra wider at the base than the thorax, slightly 

 depressed below the base, very strongly punctate-striate, the punc- 

 tures gradually diminishing in size posteriorly, those at the anterior 

 portion closely placed and somewhat transverse in shape, the 

 interstices more or less convex at the sides, the ground-colour 

 flavous, the interspaces alternately marked with black stripes of 

 various length, all abbreviated at some distance before the apex, 

 and sometimes reduced to short elongate spots, their number 

 varying greatly : underside piceous, shining ; legs flavous, the apex 

 of the femora and the base of the tibiae more or less blackish, 

 femora with a very small tooth. 



Hah. Mashonaland {O. Marshall). 



S. striatipennis, Lefev., seems to be a closely allied species in 

 regard to coloration, but is described with a smooth head and 

 thorax ; in the present insect both pai'ts are very strongly punc- 

 tured. Many species described by Lefcvre, or rather diagnosed, 

 have afterwards been placed by this author in Rhemhastus ; but 

 even now' many species described as Syagrus, and the present 

 inject is one of them, do not resemble in the shape of the 

 thorax the typical species S. caJcaratits, Fab., in which this part is 

 subcylindrical ; in many others the thorax resembles more the 

 shape of a Colaspis, but on that difference alone it would not be 

 wise to establish another genus, although a revision of the genus 

 will sooner or later be necessary, j 



36* 



