452 Transactions South African Philosophical Society, [vol. xim 



the apex to about the median part, sinuate thence to a short distance 

 from the moderately rounded basal angle, where it is as broad as 

 across the median part ; prothorax elongated, but not sharply 

 acuminated at tip ; elytra depressed, more or less plainly bi-costate ; 

 prosternal process with a distinct suture or not, and more or less 

 bluntly acuminate ; anterior tibiae sharply tri-dentate, inner part of 

 tibiae pubescent ; intermediate tibiae strongly bi-dentate on the upper 

 side, serrate or pluri-dentate on the posterior ones. 



Kolbe's characteristics of the genus Poecilophila are the shape of 

 the clypeus, and the absence of a spine on the upper part of the hind 

 tibiae. While this character holds good for two of the species, it 

 certainly does not for the third (camifex), which, however, cannot be 

 separated from the other two, and was included by Burmeister in 

 the genus Porphyronota. 



Key to the Species. 



Posterior tibiae pluri-dentate on the upper side (Porphyronota.} 



Suture of prosternal process obliterated, the process blunt . . camifex. 



Posterior tibiae serrate on the upper side (Poecilophila..) 



Suture of prosternal process very distinct, process aculeate ; 

 metasternum punctate in the centre liebrcea. 



Prosternal process more sharply aculeate and shorter ; meta- 

 sternum nearly impunctate in the centre maculatisswia.. 



P. carnifex, Fabr., 

 Plate XLIIL, figs. 4 and 5. 

 Gory and Perch., Monogr., p. 124, pi. 18, fig. 2. 

 Spec. Ins., i., p. 53. 

 Iannis, Voefc., Col., i., p. 13, pi. 2, fig. 16. 

 rauca, Fabr., Spec. Ins., ii., App., p. 496. 

 Var. variegata, Boh., Ins. Cafir., ii., p. 43. 



Type. Brick-red, turning sometimes to cinabar-red on the upper 

 side, nearly opaque ; clypeus infuscate at tip, closely and deeply 

 punctate, antennal pedicel reddish; prothorax slightly ciliate along the 

 margin in the anterior part, sub-foveolate punctate, the punctures 

 somewhat cicatricose and moderately scattered, there are ten irregular 

 black patches on the disk; scutellum fuscous, and with a series of deep 

 punctures on each side ; elytra somewhat ampliated in the anterior 

 part, sinuate in front of the side-pieces, narrowed behind and having 

 on each side three plain striae the outer of which is cicatricose 

 punctured in the anterior part only, next to that punctured part. 



