﻿SOME 
  INJURIOUS 
  SOUTH 
  AFRICAN 
  WEEVILS. 
  275 
  

  

  Somewhat 
  like 
  a 
  small 
  P. 
  funestus, 
  Per., 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  species 
  the 
  prothorax 
  

   is 
  distinctly 
  broader 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  elytra, 
  its 
  posterior 
  angles 
  are 
  sharp 
  right 
  

   angles 
  and 
  its 
  anterior 
  ones 
  acute 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  elytra 
  fit 
  less 
  closely 
  to 
  the 
  prothorax. 
  

  

  Found 
  feeding 
  on 
  young 
  wheat. 
  

  

  Protostrophus 
  instabilis, 
  sp. 
  nov. 
  (Plate 
  xix, 
  fig. 
  2). 
  

  

  cJ 
  2. 
  Colouring 
  variable 
  ; 
  piceous, 
  with 
  dense 
  grey 
  scaling 
  ; 
  the 
  prothorax 
  

   with 
  a 
  more 
  brownish 
  median 
  lyre-shaped 
  patch 
  and 
  two 
  indistinct 
  sinuous 
  stripes 
  

   on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  colour 
  ; 
  the 
  elytra 
  with 
  interval 
  1 
  always 
  fawn 
  coloured, 
  

   elsewhere 
  irregularly 
  mottled 
  with 
  dark 
  brown 
  ; 
  usually 
  pale 
  spots 
  stand 
  out 
  

   rather 
  conspicuously 
  on 
  intervals 
  3 
  and 
  5 
  behind 
  the 
  middle, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  these 
  

   are 
  linked 
  up 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  continuous 
  oblique 
  pale 
  band 
  ; 
  occasionally 
  the 
  elytra 
  

   are 
  distinctly 
  striped, 
  intervals 
  3 
  and 
  5 
  being 
  almost 
  entirely 
  dark 
  brown 
  and 
  the 
  

   rest 
  (except 
  1) 
  light 
  grey. 
  

  

  Head 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  rostrum 
  by 
  a 
  slightly 
  sinuate 
  stria 
  that 
  reaches 
  the 
  

   sides, 
  the 
  forehead 
  almost 
  flat, 
  with 
  a 
  single 
  deep 
  furrow 
  and. 
  the 
  sculpturing 
  

   quite 
  hidden 
  by 
  the 
  scaling, 
  and 
  set 
  with 
  obliquely 
  raised 
  flattened 
  setae 
  ; 
  

   the 
  eyes 
  not 
  very 
  prominent, 
  deepest 
  far 
  behind 
  the 
  middle, 
  the 
  posterior 
  

   edge 
  of 
  the 
  orbit 
  not 
  projecting. 
  Rostrum 
  distinctly 
  broader 
  than 
  long, 
  not 
  

   very 
  strongly 
  narrowed 
  in 
  front, 
  the 
  sides 
  almost 
  straight 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  slight 
  

   rounded 
  projection 
  above 
  the 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  scrobe 
  ; 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  nearly 
  flat, 
  

   with 
  a 
  shallow 
  median 
  depression 
  in 
  the 
  apical 
  half, 
  and 
  without 
  any 
  distinct 
  carina 
  ; 
  

   the 
  mandibles 
  not 
  squamose. 
  Antennae 
  with 
  joint 
  1 
  of, 
  the 
  funicle 
  much 
  longer 
  

   and 
  broader 
  than 
  2, 
  which 
  is 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  3 
  and 
  4 
  together, 
  3-7 
  transverse, 
  7 
  as 
  broad 
  

   as 
  1. 
  Prothorax 
  about 
  twice 
  as 
  broad 
  as 
  long, 
  broadest 
  at 
  the 
  middle, 
  the 
  sides 
  

   very 
  strongly 
  (subangulately) 
  rounded, 
  the 
  base 
  slightly 
  arcuate, 
  with 
  the 
  basal 
  

   angles 
  rounded 
  off, 
  no 
  broader 
  than 
  the 
  apex, 
  which 
  is 
  truncate 
  ; 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  

   flat 
  longitudinally 
  and 
  smooth, 
  the 
  sculpturing 
  completely 
  hidden 
  by 
  scaling, 
  except 
  

   for 
  a 
  shallow 
  median 
  stria, 
  which 
  is 
  abbreviated 
  at 
  both 
  ends. 
  Elytra 
  oblong-ovate, 
  

   the 
  sides 
  obtusely 
  angulated 
  near 
  the 
  base 
  and 
  from 
  there 
  subparallel 
  to 
  beyond 
  

   the 
  middle, 
  broadly 
  rounded 
  behind, 
  with 
  the 
  base 
  very 
  shallowly 
  sinuate 
  and 
  

   the 
  basal 
  angles 
  not 
  projecting 
  ; 
  the 
  shallow 
  striae 
  contain 
  separated 
  punctures 
  

   that 
  are 
  clearly 
  visible 
  through 
  the 
  scaling 
  ; 
  the 
  intervals 
  broad, 
  almost 
  flat, 
  finely 
  

   coriaceous, 
  and 
  densely 
  clothed 
  with 
  almost 
  circular 
  overlapping 
  fluted 
  scales 
  

   (of 
  the 
  same 
  size 
  as 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  prothorax) 
  and 
  each 
  with 
  a 
  single 
  row 
  of 
  raised 
  

   brownish 
  scale-like 
  setae, 
  which 
  become 
  longer 
  and 
  more 
  erect 
  behind, 
  a 
  few 
  across 
  

   the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  declivity 
  being 
  white. 
  Legs 
  densely 
  clothed 
  with 
  scales 
  and 
  sub- 
  

   recumbent 
  scale-like 
  setae 
  ; 
  the 
  front 
  tibiae 
  only 
  slightly 
  incurved 
  at 
  the 
  apex, 
  

   with 
  two 
  spines 
  on 
  the 
  inner 
  face, 
  and 
  an 
  apical 
  row 
  of 
  three 
  small 
  and 
  three 
  stout 
  

   teeth 
  and 
  two 
  stout 
  ones 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  edge 
  ; 
  the 
  hind 
  tibiae 
  with 
  three 
  spines 
  

   internally 
  on 
  the 
  apical 
  half 
  and 
  the 
  corbels 
  densely 
  squamose. 
  Sternum 
  with 
  

   the 
  mesepisterna 
  narrowly 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  elytra. 
  

  

  Length, 
  3-3'5 
  mm. 
  ; 
  breadth, 
  1*75-2 
  mm. 
  

  

  Transvaal 
  : 
  Nelspruit, 
  25.ix.1918. 
  

  

  Described 
  from 
  ten 
  specimens. 
  

   (637) 
  e 
  

  

  