1896.] of the Colcoytera of South Africa. 335 



Tkibe ANTHIADES. 



Mentum without any median tooth, the lateral lobes much 

 developed ; ligula with very short paraglossae at the base, long, 

 convex ; palpi strong, second joint of labial always longer than the 

 third, this last one slightly swollen at the tip, last joint of maxillary 

 always thickened at the apex ; labrum con\'ex ; eyes with an orbital 

 ridge, and two setae over it; antennge long, compressed; prothorax 

 nearly always cordiform, more or less elongate or sub-hexagonal ; 

 elytra elongate, truncate obliquely behind, or nearly rounded ; no 

 wings ; legs long ; tarsi spinose underneath, the three basal joints 

 of the anterior ones dilated inwardly in the male. The tribe is 

 represented in Africa, Armenia, and India. 



Although the general facies of the insects contained in this tribe 

 is very different, and the size vary much, the distinctive characters 

 supplied by the shape and arrangement of the buccal organs are 

 very uniform with the exception of the genus BcBoglossa. The 

 ligula is shaped like a long convex spatula, narrowed in the basal 

 part and embedded there in the paraglossae, which form a sort of 

 quadrate base with the outer angle acute ; the lobes of the mentum 

 are slightly different ; while in Polyldrma and Anthia the apex is 

 strongly sinuate and bifid, it is truncate in Atractonota, with a sharp 

 inner spine in Cycloloha and Microlestia, and conical in Bc&oglossa. 

 In this last species the buccal characters are very striking indeed, the 

 shape of the ligula and total absence of paraglossae being, I believe, 

 unique among the Carabidae, yet the general facies of B. villosa 

 approximates very much that of A. decemcjuttata, while, in spite of a 

 facies as dissimilar as that of this last-named species and that of 

 Polyhirma notata, the shape of the mentum, ligula, and palpi is 

 identical. This difference in facies is perhaps still more exemplified 

 in Cycloloha and Microlestia. 



The species contained in this tribe are mostly diurnal, but I 

 believe that Microlestia tahida is crepuscular, if not nocturnal. It is 

 found under stones in daytime, and is the only species I know 

 which produces a stridulating noise. All the South African species 

 emit a volatile pungent fluid, the discharge of which produces a 

 stinging sensation on the human skin, and I have even seen the 

 discharge of one of the large Anthia [A. maxillosa) produce a dis- 

 coloration of the skin of the face accompanied by great pain. 



The Anthiades are generally found running over the ground, or 

 taking shelter during the hot part of the day under low bushes or 

 scrub, but Mr. G. A. K. Marshall informs me that "at the Mazoe 

 (Mashunaland) he found several examples of both Anthia iKichyoma 

 and A. thoracica climbing small trees at the height of about 6 or 7 

 feet, after the manner of Calosonia." One of the former he saw 

 devouring a small Geometrid caterpillar. 



