272 GUY A. K. MARSHALL. 



funicle is as long as 1, and longer than 2+3 ; the scales on the elytra are much 

 smaller, etc. 



This wingless terrestrial species is abundant in the Salisbury district, and accor- 

 ding to Mr. Jack, Government Entomologist, Southern Ehodesia, the adults some- 

 times cause considerable damage to the maize crops by eating off the young plants 

 as soon as they appear above ground. They also feed on the leaves of other crops, 

 such as sweet potatoes. 



Tanymecus agricoia. sp. nov. (PI. vii, fig. 6). 



Colour black, variegated with greyish buff scahng and light and dark brown 

 setae ; the pronotum with three indistinct dark stripes ; the elytra with several 

 indefinite interrupted dark lines. 



(J ?. Head with rather coarse longitudinally confluent punctation ; the forehead 

 not narrower than the base of the rostrum and without any central fovea or carina ; 

 the eyes almost circular and rather strongly convex. Rostrum as long as the head 

 and parallel-sided, the apex asymmetrically emarginate in the middle, the right 

 side of the angle being rounded and the left straight ; the dorsal area parallel- 

 sided, shallowly impressed in the middle, with a well-marked narrow median 

 carina, the sculpturing like that of the head. Antennae with the scape 

 elongate, reaching beyond the front margin of the prothorax ; the funicle 

 with the two basal joints equal, 2 equal to 3+4, and 3 to 7 subequal. Prothorax 

 longer than broad in both sexes, gently rounded at the sides, broadest a little before 

 the middle, and with a faint apical constriction ; the apex slightly narrower than 

 the base, and both margins very gently arcuate, the apical margin oblique at the 

 sides ; the dorsum evenly convex, with close confluent punctation throughout ; 

 the short broad recumbent setae pale on the areas of pale scaling and dark brown 

 elsewhere. Scutellum elongate, with dense whitish scales. Elytra jointly sinuate 

 at the base, with rounded humeral angles, parallel-sided from the shoulders to 

 beyond the middle, and impressed on each side before the apex, which is jointly 

 rounded ; the striae rather deep, especially towards the apex, but partly hidden 

 by the scaling towards the sides, the punctures large at the base and becoming smaller 

 behind ; the intervals not broader than the punctures on the disk, slightly convex 

 and shagreened ; the pale areas formed of short oval or almost circular scales, 

 mixed with numerous pale short flat curved setae, the dark areas only with similar 

 dark brown setae. Legs grey, the femora with an indistinct pale spot beyond 

 the middle ; the front femora slightly thicker than the others, the two anterior 

 pairs in the (J clothed with long hairs beneath on the basal half ; the hind tarsi 

 with joint 1 as long as 2 + 3, and 2 equal to 3. 



Length, 7-8 mm. ; breadth, 2-2-2-8 mm. 



S. Rhodesia : Gwelo, i. 1920 {R. Lowe Thompson). 



Described from 2 ^^ and 2 $ ?. 



Although very similar in general facies to T. destructor, this species may readily 

 be distinguished by its longer and parallel-sided rostrum, more convex eyes, much 

 longer scape, broad scales, etc. 



It has also been found feeding upon maize. 



