1904.] Catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa. 171 



a short canthus, and having a more or less distinct orbital keel, first 

 five abdominal segments not quite covered laterally by the elytra, 

 the last one alone mobile ; episterna very broad, epimera nearly as 

 broad and separated by a fine suture ; anterior coxae transverse ; 

 spurs of hind tibiae or at least one of them broad, compressed, in 

 both sexes. 



The insects for which I propose to found this Tribe are strikingly 

 peculiar in many respects. They are massive, mostly clothed on the 

 head and prothorax, pectus, and abdomen with a long pubescence, 

 which is often extremely dense and very hygrometric ; the clypeal 

 shape is peculiarly their own ; they are also remarkable by the 

 dilatation of the compressed spurs of the hind tibiae, and, as the 

 number of antennal joints forming the club is the same in both sexes r 

 as in some Ablaberini, the female would not be easily distinguished 

 except for the still more broadly dilated, and often spatuliform hind 

 spurs. I am not aware of any other Melolonthince in which the number 

 of antennal joints reach eleven (Sparrmannia)) in this genus, the first 

 and second joints of the anterior tarsi are spinose inwardly at the 

 tip, and another peculiarity is that in some species the teeth of the 

 claws vary in length and position according to the sex, and differ 

 also in species belonging to the same genus. 



As I have already said in treating of the Pachypodini, they are 

 closely connected with them ; the genus Beriqua of the Melolonthini 

 does, on the other hand, form a sort of connecting link with the 

 Sparrmannini . I suspect them to live in the larval stage in old 

 termite dung-heaps, like some species of Schizonycha. They are 

 often met with flying in large numbers at dusk round a small bush,, 

 the crowd consisting probably of males awaiting the emergence of 

 the females, which are, however, as common as the males. 



Apart from one species of Sebaris recorded from Angola, repre- 

 sentatives of this Tribe have not been met with outside the South 

 African limit. 



Key to the Genera. 



Third joint of antennal pedicel very long. 



Antennae 11 -jointed.* 



Apical joint of maxillary palps moderately short, fusiform, labrum 



strong, deeply incised ; antennal club 7-jointed Sparrmannia- 



Antennae 10-jointed. 



Apical joint of maxillary palps long, fusiform outwardly only, 



labrum very small, sinuate ; antennal club 6-jointed Sebaris. 



* In S. bechuana the antennae are 10-jointed. 



