﻿1902.] 
  Catalogue 
  of 
  the 
  Coleoptera 
  of 
  Sotith 
  Africa. 
  625 
  

  

  The 
  number 
  of 
  genera 
  and 
  species 
  of 
  Hopliin^ 
  occurring 
  in 
  South 
  

   Africa 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  striking 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  Coleopterous 
  Fauna 
  of 
  this 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  world. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  districts 
  of 
  the 
  Cape 
  Colony 
  where 
  the 
  winter 
  rains 
  prevail 
  

   (May-September) 
  it 
  may 
  almost 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  on 
  a 
  bright 
  day 
  in 
  the 
  

   spring 
  (August-October) 
  no 
  flower 
  is 
  without 
  a 
  tenant. 
  Although 
  

   less 
  abundant 
  where 
  the 
  summer 
  rains 
  (November-March) 
  occur, 
  

   they 
  are, 
  however, 
  numerous 
  and 
  varied. 
  

  

  The 
  insects 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  Tribe 
  Pachycnemini 
  are 
  - 
  characterised 
  

   by 
  very 
  long 
  and 
  slender 
  maxillae, 
  often 
  without 
  inner 
  teeth, 
  and 
  

   having 
  a 
  bi-lobate 
  membranaceous 
  ligula. 
  The 
  shape 
  of 
  these 
  mouth- 
  

   parts 
  implies 
  a 
  suctorial 
  diet. 
  Few 
  insects 
  are 
  better 
  adapted 
  for 
  fer- 
  

   tilisation 
  than 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  Anisonyx, 
  Peritrichia, 
  Lepitrix. 
  Covered 
  

   with 
  dense, 
  long 
  hairs, 
  and 
  provided 
  with 
  a 
  very 
  narrow 
  and 
  elongate 
  

   •clypeus, 
  they 
  penetrate 
  deep 
  into 
  the 
  corolla 
  of 
  the 
  flowers 
  and 
  emerge 
  

   covered 
  with 
  pollen. 
  The 
  species 
  of 
  Pachycnema 
  which, 
  like 
  those 
  

   of 
  the 
  genera 
  above-mentioned, 
  have 
  no 
  toothed 
  maxillae 
  and 
  possess 
  

   a 
  sharply 
  acuminate 
  clypeus, 
  are 
  heavier 
  insects, 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  

   scantily 
  clothed 
  with 
  hairs 
  ; 
  they 
  also 
  are, 
  however, 
  important 
  agents 
  

   of 
  fertilisation. 
  Eriesthis, 
  Stenocnema, 
  and 
  Korisaba 
  have 
  strongly 
  

   dentate 
  maxillae 
  and 
  a 
  shorter 
  and 
  broader 
  ligula 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  no 
  

   longer 
  suctorial 
  insects 
  only, 
  and 
  they, 
  like 
  the 
  Heterochelides 
  with 
  

   which 
  they 
  are 
  connected 
  by 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  buccal 
  organs, 
  live 
  at 
  

   the 
  expense 
  of 
  the 
  corolla 
  and 
  pistils. 
  

  

  The 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  group 
  Heterochelides 
  are 
  much 
  less 
  hairy, 
  

   the 
  clypeus 
  is 
  not 
  acuminate, 
  the 
  ligula 
  is 
  fused 
  with 
  the 
  mentum 
  

   as 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  other 
  genera 
  of 
  the 
  Melolonthin^e, 
  the 
  maxillae 
  are 
  

   dentate, 
  sometimes 
  feebly, 
  sometimes 
  strongly 
  ; 
  in 
  one 
  instance 
  

   only 
  (Nanniscus) 
  are 
  they 
  simple. 
  They 
  are 
  perhaps 
  more 
  

   numerous 
  than 
  the 
  Pachycnemini 
  in 
  kind, 
  and 
  certainly 
  so 
  

   in 
  species 
  and 
  genera. 
  The 
  female 
  retains 
  somewhat 
  the 
  

   general 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  Melolonthike, 
  but 
  the 
  male 
  has 
  a 
  

   facies 
  of 
  his 
  own, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  greatly 
  compressed 
  abdomen 
  ; 
  

   the 
  pygidium 
  is 
  strongly 
  declivous 
  in 
  a 
  forward 
  direction, 
  and 
  the 
  

   hind 
  legs 
  are 
  absurdly 
  large. 
  These 
  features 
  are 
  not, 
  however, 
  

   restricted 
  to 
  this 
  group, 
  they 
  are 
  also 
  common 
  to 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  

   genus 
  Monochelus, 
  &c, 
  of 
  the 
  group 
  Scelophy 
  sides. 
  Among 
  the 
  

   Pachycnemini 
  they 
  have 
  reached 
  their 
  highest 
  point 
  in 
  the 
  genera 
  

   Pachycnema 
  and 
  Hoplocncmis 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  hind 
  tibiae 
  especially 
  are 
  

   enormously 
  developed, 
  and 
  the 
  joints 
  of 
  the 
  hind 
  tarsi 
  are 
  sometimes 
  

   partially, 
  or 
  even 
  entirely 
  fused. 
  This 
  great 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  hind 
  

   legs 
  is 
  not 
  intended 
  for 
  securing 
  a 
  better 
  hold 
  of 
  the 
  female. 
  There 
  

   is 
  nothing 
  more 
  ridiculous 
  than 
  to 
  see 
  half 
  a 
  dozen 
  males 
  with 
  their 
  

  

  40 
  

  

  