534 Descriptive Catalogue [1896. 



and the third, the broadest of all is nearly twice as wide as long, the 

 fourth joint is triangular and of the same size in both sexes ; 

 prothorax transverse, hardly convex, and with one setigerous punc- 

 ture situated at the apex of the posterior angle ; elytra truncate at the 

 base, fitting against the prothorax and hardly broader, elongated, not 

 ampliated laterally, slightly convex and striate ; the three penulti- 

 mate segments of the abdomen with two median setigerous punc- 

 tures, the last one with two equidistant ones on each side of the 

 median part in the female. 



Synopsis of Species. 

 Prothorax with the posterior angles acute. 



Prothorax slightly sinuate laterally behind, frontal grooves very 

 slight cbeninus. 



Prothorax sinuate laterally behind, two deep frontal impressions rectanguliis. 



Prothorax not at all sinuate laterally behind, frontal grooves very 

 slight interniedius. 



Prothorax with the posterior angles rounded aberrans. 



Melanodes ebeninus, Erichs., 

 Wiegm. Arch., 1843, i., p. 219. 



Black, iridescent on the upper and under sides, piceous under- 

 neath, with the labrum, palpi, legs, and median part of pectus and 

 abdomen reddish brown ; head smooth with two faint, short frontal 

 grooves ; prothorax one-fourth narrower at the apex than at the base, 

 with the outer sides nearly straight from the basal angle to two- 

 thirds of the length and gradually narrowed from there to the apex, 

 plane behind, slightly declivous laterally in the anterior part, smooth, 

 shining, narrowly marginate, with a long seta on the posterior angle, 

 and having on the disk a narrow longitudinal median line, and a 

 shorter one on each side reaching nearly the base ; elytra very 

 slightly broader than the prothorax at the base, elongated, not 

 ampliated laterally, moderately convex, narrowly striate, with the 

 intervals plane and smooth. Length 10 mm. ; w^idth 4 mm. 



Hab. Mozambique (Eikatla). 



Occurs also in Natal, Zanzibar, Senegal, and Angola. 



Melanodes eectangulus, Chaud., 

 Monogr., he. cit., p. 549. 



A little larger than M. ebeninus and hardly iridescent ; the head 

 has two very deep frontal impressions, instead of a faint line ; the 

 shape of the prothorax is different, owing to the lateral part being 

 more deeply sinuate past the median part ; the shape of the elytra is 



