112 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO CACAO PLANTS 



pronotum, frequently reduced to two placed at the base. The five spots may also 

 coalesce and cover part or the whole of the pronotum, and the elytral border may 

 extend from behind forwards to cover the whole hinder part of the elytra (var. 

 nigromaculatus, Brenske), or there may be an intricate dark network. In one specimen 

 the scutellum alone remains pale, in another this and a red spot on each side of the 

 pronotum, and finally, the entire surface may become black. 



Triodonta procera, Lansb. 



I think this is probably Lansberge's species, in spite of certain inaccordant phrases 

 in the description. It is certainly not nitid and the hairy clothing of the lower 

 surface is distinctly longer, instead of shorter, than that of the upper side, but these 

 discrepancies may perhaps be due to hasty writing. 



It is strange that the real significance of the remarkable modification of the mentum 

 described by Lansberge has never been recognised. It is certainly not, as supposed 

 by him, a possibly generic feature characteristic. of a few of the species, but is dis- 

 tinctive of the males of nearly all. Like the equally remarkable claw-development 

 in the same sex, it is a prehensile device, its essential feature being the backwardly- 

 directed and extremely strong, close and regularly-arranged spines (generally cleft at 

 the end) with which the enlarged mentum is provided on its outer face. 



Family Curculionidae. 

 By Guy A. K. Marshall, D.Sc. 



Systates ramosus, sp. nov. (fig. 1). 



Colour varying from black to red-brown, rather thinly and unevenly clothed with 

 grey or buff scales so that the integument is largely exposed. 



(J. Head dull and shagreened, the forehead almost flat and with a very short deep 

 central furrow, the furrow separating off the rostrum strongly angulate in the middle ; 

 along the inner edge of the eye is a row of 5-7 erect flattened white setae. Rostrum 

 longer than its basal width, sculptured like the forehead, tricarinate, the central carina 

 rather more distinct than the others and bifid in front, the two lateral ones strongly 

 convergent anteriorly, the sides of the rostrum not falling steeply below them, 

 but forming a continuous transverse curve with the median area ; this lateral con- 

 vexity causes the scrobes to be more sharply delimited behind than usual ; the genae 

 broadly dilated. Antennae with the scape moderately stout, subcylindrical, of almost 

 the same thickness throughout, slightly curved downwards only at the apical fourth, 

 with rugose longitudinal wrinkles and clothed with subrecumbent broad dark setae 

 and sparse pale scales ; the funicle with joints 1 and 2 equal, 3 longer than 4, and 

 4 to 7 equal. Prothorax much broader than long, the sides strongly rounded, broadest 

 well behind the middle, without any apical constriction, but markedly constricted at 

 the base, which is not much broader than the apex, the latter being shallowly sinuate ; 

 the upper surface comparatively flat, finely shagreened, usually with a short bare 

 smooth central line, and set with very small and widely separated granules, each 

 bearing a short erect scale-like seta. Elytra ovate, broadest at about one-fourth from 

 the base (being there obtusely angulated) and rapidly narrowing thence to the apex ; 

 the basal margin abruptly raised and forming a sharp transverse ridge, each external 

 angle being produced obliquely forwards into a broad process, 1 -2 mm. long, which is 



