74 Transactions South African Philosophical Society, [vol. xiii. 



ones strongly compressed ; pectus and abdomen black, sparsely 

 pilose, the hairs fulvous. 



Length 8 mm. 



Rah. Zululand." 



Tkibe ABLABEKINL 



Body elongate, sub-cylindrical or with the elytra slightly ampliated 

 in the posterior part, but occasionally short and convex, although 

 less than in Trochalus (Oocamenta) ; clypeus gradually narrowed 

 laterally and either straight or sinuate before the apex, but occa- 

 sionally plainly constricted (Idcecamehta), eyes divided in front by 

 a short genal canthus, and without any posterior keel ; antennae 9- or 

 10-jointed ; prothorax not very convex and with a fringe of long 

 setae ; elytra elongated and covering the propygidium which is wide 

 and slightly convex ; anterior coxae sub-vertical and conical at apex, 

 very little slanting in the base, intermediate and posterior ones not 

 widely separated, the posterior slanting and only one-third the width 

 of the metasternum the episterna of which are slightly narrower 

 and of course longer than in the Sericini ; femora not broadly 

 ampliated, tibiae not compressed, hind ones with only a slanting 

 spinose ridge ; hind spurs of the female visibly yet not strongly 

 ampliated. 



The variable number of antennal club joints has led to a great 

 generic division where specific distinctions, would, in my opinion, 

 have achieved the same result. 



This great variation in the number of joints of the antennal club 

 is a curious feature of the insects included in this Tribe ; it varies in 

 the male from 7 to 4, and from 6 to 3 in the female ; the claws are 

 slender and not deeply cleft underneath, but the basal part is often 

 dilated and membranaceous. 



On the whole the Tribe is very homogeneous, but certain genera, 

 such as Tulbaghia and Idczcamenta, are closely allied to the Pachy- 

 podous Melolonthince, and have probably the same habits. The 

 females of Ablabera, Ca?nenta, &c, are, however, met with as 

 commonly as the males. 



The species of Ablaberini seem to be more restricted to the South 

 African Fauna than the Sericini ; a few of them have been met with 

 as far as Masailand, but I believe that none are found in Senegambia. 

 The range of the species in South Africa is very limited, differing 

 in that respect from the Sericini, but the habits of the two seem 

 to be the same. 



