1896.] of the Coleoptera of South Africa. 265 



Gen. ASTATA, Chaud., 

 Bull. Mosc, 1871, p. 204. 



Mentum with a median not very long triangular tooth ; ligula 

 subacuminate at the tip, longer, narrower than the paraglossae which 

 broaden outwardly from about the median part, have long bristles 

 and are rounded at the tip ; prothorax and elytra of Lehia ; claws 

 pectinate, with seven or four teeth on each side, the basal one very 

 small ; fourth joint of tarsi not dilated but bilobate. 



A representative of this genus is found on the Zanzibar mainland, 

 and it is probable that another is found in Old Calabar. 



Synopsis of Species. 



Elytra black, with a dorsal longitudinal band and a posterior 

 round red patch on each side gentilis. 



Elytra black, with a median and postical red round patch on 

 each side .. tetragramma. 



Elytra black, with a small reddish patch on each side of the base incipeniiis. 



AsTATA GENTILJS. 



Head black ; palpi, and three basal joints of antennae reddish, the 

 other joints black ; head very closely punctured ; prothorax light 

 brick-red, a little broader in front than behind, very finely and 

 closely punctured ; elytra twice as broad as the prothorax, nearly 

 parallel, finely punctato-striate, with the intervals plane and very 

 briefly pubescent, black, with a yellow band running on the fifth and 

 sixth intervals, reaching from the base to the middle and broadening 

 towards the suture at the apex, a subquadrate juxta-sutural yellow 

 patch on the second, third, and fourth intervals, the extreme edge 

 of the outer margin from below the base to a short distance from the 

 rounding of the posterior part is also yellow ; abdomen black ; legs 

 pale yellow ; claws with four long teeth on each side. Length 

 5 J mm. ; width 2^ mm. 



Hab. Natal (Newcastle). 



ASTATA TETRAGEAMMA, Chaud., 



Plate VI., fig. 20. 

 Bull. Mosc, 1871, p. 205, pi. i., fig. 14. 

 Antennae rufescent, with the three basal joints pale red ; head 

 and prothorax brick-red, and both very rugose ; prothorax a little 

 broader in the anterior part than behind ; elytra nearly twice as 

 broad as the prothorax, subparallel, striate, with the striae narrow 

 and smooth and the intervals very convex, black, with two yellow, 

 subquadrate patches on each elytron, a narrow macula at the base 

 and the median part of the edge of the outer margin yellowish red ; 



