1900.] Catalogue of the Coleoiotera of South Africa. 317 



Heliocopris japetus, Klug., 



Plate XXXII., fig. 8. 



Monatsb. Berl. Acad. 1855, p. 655; Peters' Eeis,, 1862, p. 239, 



pi. xiii., figs. 3, 4. 



H. hicarinulatus , Bohem., Ofv. Vet. Ak. Forh., 1860, p. 108. 



Piceous black, elytra occasionally dark brown ; head plicate 

 transversely in front, transversely scrobiculate behind, and having in 

 both sexes a high transverse laminate carina; prothorax scrobicu- 

 late in the anterior as well as in the median part, granular in the 

 supra-basal part which is slightly depressed, and also on the sides, 

 but punctate on each side of the posterior depression ; elytra convex, 

 not deeply striate, striae slightly punctulate, intervals plane and very 

 slightly punctate ; pygidium faintly punctate ; metasternum with a 

 deep, broad, basal impression and a short, impressed, longitudinal 

 line. 



Male : Genae straight outwardly, narrow and very elongate, 

 clypeus elongate, diagonal or very slightly sinuate laterally, truncate 

 at apex and hardly sinuate there, in the anterior part of the head, 

 but very close to the median part, there is a very high laminate 

 carina truncate on each side, slightly bi-sinuate at tip, sub-dentate in 

 the centre, and with the outer angles strongly dentate ; prothorax 

 vertical in front and having a very deep, smooth excavation on each 

 side, the upper part has a strong, sub-arcuate carina extending over 

 half the width, and sharply but briefly dentate on each side of the 

 deflexed part, close to the apex of the lateral excavations which are 

 also carinate and have each a very conspicuous dentate, triangular 

 process pointing a little downwards in the inner part, and a smaller, 

 yet very distinct, triangular tooth in the upper part, the anterior 

 angles are sharp, but do not project much ; on the fourth stria of the 

 elytra there is a sub-basal, short, conspicuous longitudinal ridge 

 about 4 mm. long. 



Female : Gense also elongate, but not quite so straight laterally, 

 clypeus elongate, acuminate, nearly diagonal laterally for the 

 greater part of the length, and slightly sinuate near the tip which is 

 truncate with the edge slightly reflexed, the transverse, laminate 

 carina is truncate on each side, has the angles sharp, is nearly 

 straight at tip and is situate past the middle ; prothorax retuse in 

 front and edged by a bi-sinuate ridge reaching close to the lateral 

 fovea ; elytra without a short longitudinal carina on the fourth stria. 



Length 49-54 mm. ; width 28-32 mm. 



Hah. Southern Ehodesia (Victoria Falls, Salisbury, Buluwayo), 

 Ovampoland (Humbe). 



