﻿1902.] 
  Catalogue 
  of 
  the 
  Coleoptera 
  of 
  South 
  Africa. 
  829 
  

  

  gidium 
  conspicuous, 
  pygidium 
  vertical 
  in 
  the 
  male 
  ; 
  anterior 
  tibiae 
  

   distinctly 
  tri-dentate 
  outwardly 
  with 
  the 
  teeth 
  oblique, 
  and 
  the 
  basal 
  

   one 
  short, 
  or 
  bi-dentate 
  obliquely, 
  the 
  basal 
  tooth 
  being 
  obliterated 
  ; 
  

   the 
  claws 
  of 
  the 
  anterior 
  or 
  intermediate 
  legs 
  are 
  either 
  single 
  and 
  

   cleft 
  (M. 
  spinipes), 
  double 
  and 
  also 
  cleft 
  (M 
  pruinosus, 
  auran- 
  

   tiacits, 
  natalensis), 
  or 
  single 
  and 
  cleft 
  in 
  the 
  intermediate 
  (M. 
  

   omatus, 
  latus, 
  &c), 
  the 
  hind 
  claws 
  are 
  single 
  and 
  simple 
  in 
  the 
  

   male, 
  except 
  in 
  M. 
  gratus, 
  and 
  M. 
  gracilis, 
  but 
  in 
  a 
  certain 
  number 
  

   of 
  species 
  the 
  claw 
  of 
  the 
  median 
  legs, 
  which 
  is 
  single, 
  but 
  cleft, 
  

   has 
  a 
  distinct 
  tooth 
  underneath, 
  and 
  in 
  one 
  (M. 
  calcaratus) 
  it 
  is 
  on 
  

   the 
  hind 
  legs 
  that 
  this 
  claw 
  is 
  toothed 
  ; 
  the 
  hind 
  legs 
  are 
  robust, 
  the 
  

   trochanters 
  are 
  strongly 
  spinose 
  or 
  are 
  simple, 
  and 
  the 
  hind 
  tibiae 
  

   are 
  either 
  scooped 
  or 
  carinate 
  beneath, 
  dentate 
  or 
  not 
  beneath 
  

   the 
  knee, 
  and 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  strongly 
  mucronate 
  at 
  the 
  apex 
  ; 
  

   some 
  species 
  have 
  an 
  apical 
  spur 
  on 
  the 
  hind 
  tibiae, 
  others 
  have 
  

   not. 
  

  

  The 
  insects 
  I 
  restrict 
  to 
  this 
  genus 
  form 
  a 
  very 
  homogeneous 
  

   group. 
  They 
  are 
  represented 
  in 
  the 
  Western 
  and 
  Eastern 
  parts 
  of 
  

   South 
  Africa, 
  but 
  the 
  species 
  which 
  have 
  a 
  tooth 
  under 
  the 
  claw 
  

   of 
  the 
  intermediate 
  or 
  hind 
  legs 
  are 
  only 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Eastern 
  part 
  

   (Natal, 
  Transvaal). 
  

  

  Two 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  included 
  by 
  Burmeister 
  in 
  this 
  genus 
  have 
  

   been 
  transferred 
  to 
  other 
  genera. 
  M. 
  parvulus 
  is 
  a 
  Gymnoloma, 
  

   and 
  M. 
  collaris, 
  which 
  is 
  more 
  closely 
  allied 
  to 
  Platychelus 
  than 
  to 
  

   Monochelus, 
  is 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  new 
  genus, 
  Idutywa 
  ; 
  M. 
  sub-vittatus, 
  

   Burm., 
  is 
  the 
  female 
  of 
  M. 
  armipes. 
  

  

  Key 
  to 
  the 
  Species. 
  

  

  A 
  3 
  . 
  Claw 
  of 
  the 
  intermediate 
  and 
  posterior 
  legs 
  without 
  a 
  tooth 
  

   underneath. 
  

  

  B 
  2 
  . 
  Clypeus 
  not 
  attenuate 
  laterally. 
  

  

  C 
  2 
  . 
  Anterior 
  tibiae 
  of 
  male 
  tri-dentate 
  outwardly. 
  

  

  D 
  3 
  . 
  Hind 
  femora 
  with 
  the 
  trochanters 
  produced 
  into 
  a 
  

   sharp 
  spine. 
  

  

  Black, 
  very 
  shiny 
  ; 
  elytra 
  with 
  a 
  median 
  and 
  a 
  

   basal 
  patch 
  of 
  white 
  scales 
  on 
  each 
  side, 
  hind 
  tibiae 
  

   with 
  a 
  truncate 
  inner 
  tooth 
  near 
  the 
  knee 
  and 
  

   an 
  ante-apical 
  long 
  one, 
  an 
  apical 
  spur 
  ; 
  hind 
  

   claws 
  simple 
  glaberrimus. 
  

  

  Similar 
  to 
  M. 
  glaberrimus, 
  but 
  with 
  the 
  elytra 
  

   red 
  ; 
  hind 
  tibiae 
  with 
  two 
  inner 
  teeth 
  near 
  the 
  

   knee 
  ; 
  hind 
  claws 
  double 
  gratus. 
  

  

  