1904.] AFRIOAX PnYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTKRA, 259 



basal joint piceous above ; thorax with the sides roundeil at tlie 

 base, narrowed in front, the disc closely and strongly punctured ; 

 elytra with a deep transverse basal depression, punctured like the 

 thorax, the entire sides strongly transversely rugose, the inner 

 disc with a costa near the suture at the posterior portion which 

 near the apex curves round at right angles and runs parallel to 

 the lateral margin ; underside and legs dark seneous, the anterior 

 femora with a short tooth. 



Hah. Beira, E. Africa [A. Sh&pjJcird). 



I have received from Mr. Sheppard two apparently female 

 specimens of this species which I cannot identify with any hitherto 

 known Colasposoma. At the base of the elytra traces of other 

 costa3 are visible ; the coarse elytral punctuation, the very strong- 

 rugosities, and the sulisutural and apical costse are the principal 

 marks of distinction of this species, also its dull seneous colour. 



Colasposoma pusillum, sp. n. 



Obscure cupreous or aeneous below, above metallic green ; 

 antennae obscure fulvous ; thorax short and convex, crowded with 

 larger and smaller punctures ; elytra oblong-ovate, semi-regularly 

 punctured in rows, the intei'stices at tlie sides finely transversely 

 rugose, femora metallic green. 



Mas. Tibife slightly curved, cupreous. 



Fein. Thorax very short ; tibise straight, fulvous as well as the 

 tarsi. 



Length 4 millim. 



Mas. Head rather closely and finely punctured, the epistome 

 very feebly separated from the face by an obsolete groove, its 

 anterior margin often narrowly cupreous, very slightly emarginate 

 at the middle ; labrum dark fulvous ; antennae long and slender, 

 dark fulvous, the third joint distinctly shorter than the fourth ; 

 thorax short and very strongly transverse, the sides strongly 

 rounded, the surface crowded with small and larger punctures ; 

 anterior angles produced into a short tooth ; scutellum broad, 

 subpentagonal, impunctate ; elytra with a shallow transverse 

 depression below the base, more strongly punctured than the 

 thorax, the punctures arranged in closely approached rows, 

 the interstices slightly rugose on the disc, more distinctly ancl 

 transversely so at the sides ; femora robust ; presternum finely 

 rugose, broad, more or less cupreous. 



Hob. Upper Tongaat, ISTatal (C. Earlier). 



I would have referred this little species to G. 'parvulum Lefev. 

 (Trans. S. Afr. Philos. Soc. 1890, p. 42), to which, at all events, it 

 must be very closely allied ; but the author describes the thorax 

 as extremely short, and rather strongly and subconfluently punc- 

 tured, and the legs as fulvous, with the knees metallic green ; 

 the sex of his specimen is not given. In the present species the 

 female has a shorter, less transverse and convex thorax and 

 straight tibise, also less robust femora ; in the elytral punctuation, 

 however, there is scarcely any difference. 



17* 



