448 Transactions South African Philosoioliical Society, [vol. xii. 



Gen. PLEUEOPHOEUS, Muls., 

 Coleopt. d. Franc. Lamellic, 1842, p. 312. 



Mentum rounded laterally in front, nearly straight at tip, ligula 

 hardly projecting beyond the mentum ; apical joint of labial palpi 

 oblongo-ovate, rounded at tip, not bent inwards as in Psammodius ; 

 maxillge and maxillary palpi nearly similar to those of Psammodius, 

 from which genus it is separated owing to the general facies, which 

 is rather depressed, and by the shape of the tarsi, which are not 

 short or triangular ; the claws are distinct ; the prothorax is nearly 

 parallel, with the posterior angles sharp and the base marginate ; it 

 is very depressed, like the elytra, which are slightly narrower than 

 the prothorax, costulate and striate. 



Key to the Species. 



Head with a lateral, sub-tuberculifonn protuberance ; prothorax 

 with deep, closely set punctures, and sulcate on the posterior part. . capicola. 



Head without a lateral protuberance ; prothorax very finely and 

 closely punctured, and not sulcate in the posterior part natalensis. 



Pleurophoeus capicola, n. spec. 



Eusty red, shining ; head covered with fine but somewhat deep 

 punctures very closely set, frontal part very convex and having on 

 each side at a short distance from the base a transverse tuberculiform 

 swelling, gena3 much projecting and truncate at base, clypeus 

 broadly and deeply emarginate, and with the angles distinct ; 

 prothorax nearly parallel laterally, if seen from above, and with 

 the posterior angles very sharp, it is covered with fine, yet deep 

 punctures, somewhat closely set and very briefly setigerous, the 

 anterior lateral impression is very deep, the supra-lateral sub-median 

 one is diagonally transverse and very conspicuous, and there is in 

 the centre a somewhat narrow, longitudinal groove filled with a 

 series of punctures ; scutellum short, impunctate ; elytra oblong, 

 depressed, very slightly narrower than the prothorax, very sharply 

 costate, with the intervals as broad as the cost^ and filled with a 

 series of broad punctures ; tibiae obtusely serrate on the upper side, 

 basal joint of posterior tarsi longer than the apical spur which is 

 also elongate. 



Length 3 mm. ; width 1 mm. 



Hab. Cape Colony (Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Worcester). 



