﻿273 
  

  

  SOME 
  INJURIOUS 
  SOUTH 
  AFRICAN 
  WEEVILS. 
  

  

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

  

  (Plate 
  XIX.) 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  undescribed 
  species 
  of 
  Curculionidae 
  were 
  all 
  forwarded 
  to 
  the 
  

   Imperial 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Entomology 
  from 
  the 
  Division 
  of 
  Entomology, 
  Pretoria, 
  with 
  

   the 
  information 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  attacking 
  various 
  cultivated 
  plants. 
  

  

  Subfamily 
  Brachyderinae. 
  

   Prototsrophys* 
  planafus, 
  sp. 
  nov. 
  (Plate 
  xix, 
  fig. 
  4). 
  

  

  <$. 
  Unusually 
  flattened 
  dorso-ventrally. 
  Colour 
  black, 
  with 
  uniform 
  and 
  fairly 
  

   dense 
  brownish-grey 
  scaling 
  above 
  and 
  grey 
  scaling 
  beneath. 
  

  

  Head 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  rostrum 
  by 
  a 
  slightly 
  curved 
  furrow 
  which 
  does 
  not 
  

   nearly 
  meet 
  the 
  lateral 
  margins 
  ; 
  the 
  forehead 
  flat, 
  with 
  a 
  deep 
  and 
  complete 
  

   central 
  furrow, 
  and 
  the 
  sculpturing 
  hidden 
  by 
  the 
  scaling 
  and 
  the 
  broad 
  subre- 
  

   cumbent 
  brown 
  setae 
  ; 
  the 
  eyes 
  strongly 
  convex, 
  moderately 
  produced 
  backwards, 
  

   deepest 
  behind 
  the 
  middle, 
  and 
  the 
  hind 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  orbit 
  not 
  projecting. 
  Rostrum 
  

   a 
  little 
  shorter 
  than 
  its 
  basal 
  width, 
  strongly 
  narrowed 
  from 
  base 
  to 
  apex, 
  the 
  sides 
  

   almost 
  straight 
  ; 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  with 
  a 
  rather 
  deep 
  median 
  impression 
  containing 
  

   a 
  complete 
  narrow 
  central 
  carina, 
  and 
  a 
  very 
  shallow 
  longitudinal 
  impression 
  near 
  

   each 
  lateral 
  margin 
  ; 
  the 
  mandibles 
  densely 
  squamose. 
  Antennae 
  with 
  joint 
  1 
  of 
  

   the 
  funicle 
  much 
  longer 
  and 
  thicker 
  than 
  2, 
  which 
  is 
  nearly 
  twice 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  3, 
  

   and 
  all 
  the 
  joints 
  much 
  longer 
  than 
  broad. 
  Prothorax 
  twice 
  as 
  broad 
  as 
  long, 
  the 
  

   sides 
  strongly 
  rounded, 
  broadest 
  well 
  behind 
  the 
  middle, 
  the 
  basal 
  margin 
  arcuate, 
  

   the 
  apex 
  much 
  narrower 
  than 
  the 
  base 
  and 
  broadly 
  sinuate 
  ; 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  

   moderately 
  convex 
  transversely, 
  but 
  flat 
  longitudinally, 
  set 
  with 
  large 
  shallow 
  

   separated 
  setigerous 
  punctures, 
  which 
  are 
  normally 
  hidden 
  by 
  the 
  scaling, 
  and 
  

   with 
  a 
  narrow 
  smooth 
  central 
  line 
  running 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  for 
  three-fourths 
  the 
  length 
  ; 
  

   the 
  setae 
  broad, 
  flattened 
  and 
  recumbent. 
  Elytra 
  oblong-ovate, 
  obtusely 
  pointed 
  

   behind, 
  the 
  basal 
  margin 
  jointly 
  sinuate, 
  with 
  the 
  angles 
  not 
  produced 
  ; 
  the 
  striae 
  

   very 
  shallow, 
  the 
  first 
  three 
  strongly 
  curved 
  outwards 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  the 
  very 
  shallow 
  

   punctures 
  normally 
  quite 
  hidden 
  by 
  the 
  scaling 
  ; 
  the 
  intervals 
  broad, 
  flat 
  and 
  

   minutely 
  punctulate, 
  set 
  with 
  irregular 
  recumbent 
  scale-like 
  setae 
  ; 
  the 
  scales 
  very 
  

   short 
  ovate 
  or 
  almost 
  circular, 
  smaller 
  than 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  prothorax 
  and 
  closely 
  

   contiguous. 
  Legs 
  stout, 
  densely 
  clothed 
  with 
  grey 
  scales 
  and 
  numerous 
  oblique 
  

   scale-like 
  setae 
  ; 
  the 
  front 
  tibiae 
  strongly 
  incurved 
  at 
  the 
  apex, 
  somewhat 
  flattened 
  

   internally 
  and 
  there 
  with 
  a 
  row 
  of 
  4 
  or 
  5 
  spine-like 
  bristles, 
  the 
  apical 
  comb 
  with 
  

   6 
  or 
  7 
  very 
  short 
  teeth 
  ; 
  the 
  hind 
  tibiae 
  slightly 
  convex 
  externally, 
  internally 
  

   flattened 
  and 
  with 
  3 
  stout 
  teeth 
  near 
  the 
  apex, 
  the 
  corbels 
  squamose 
  ; 
  joint 
  2 
  

   of 
  the 
  front 
  tarsi 
  a 
  little 
  longer 
  than 
  its 
  apical 
  width. 
  Sternum 
  with 
  the 
  mesepisterna 
  

   broadly 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  elytra. 
  

  

  * 
  Ann. 
  Mag. 
  Nat. 
  Hist. 
  (9) 
  i, 
  1919, 
  p. 
  14. 
  

  

  