1907.] Catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa. 491 



spiracle of which is tuberculate or spiniform, seldom plane (Macroma, 

 Hoplostomus) ; the mesothoracic epimera are very conspicuous ; the 

 pygidium is large, often carinate or tuberculate, vertical or slanting, 

 convex in the centre or plane ; intermediate coxae seldom broadly 

 separated by a sternal process, oftener than not the mesosternal 

 process is reduced to a narrow fold acuminate in Nyassinius or even 

 disappearing in Scaptobius, or completely obliterated (Placodidus) ; 

 the tarsi are normally 5-jointed, but in two species of Scaptobius 

 they are 4-jointed, and in one genus (Trichoplus) the number of 

 joints is only three. The antennae are 9-jointed, but in Phymatopteryx 

 they have ten joints. 



The habits of the insects included in this Tribe are widely different 

 from most of the Getonince. Macroma appears to be floricolous, and 

 so is probably Phymatopteryx. Cymophorus is also said to be found 

 on flowers, but the glandular hairs or scales with which some species 

 are provided, imply myrmecobious habits. Spilophorus in the imago, 

 and also the larval stage is found in birds' nests, feeding on the 

 excrements. Hoplostomus devours the honey in bee-hives. The 

 South African species of Ccenochilus and Anatochilus are termi- 

 tobious. Some species of the closely allied genus Plagiochilus are 

 known to be myrmecobious, and so are those of the genera 

 Trichoplus, Scaptobius, Placodidus, in which the mentum obturates 

 completely the under side of the head. It is among those 

 myrmecobious insects that the more degraded forms occur. 

 Genuchus, on the other hand, is found in the calyx of flowers of a 

 Protea exuding so large a quantity of nectar as to be known locally 

 under the name of " sugar bush." But however degraded some of 

 these forms may be, they are less further removed from the true 

 Cetonince than the Trichini, Myodermini, or Valgini. 



The number of genera represented in the South African Eegion 

 is 21, and that of species 55. A few of the latter (7) are found in 

 other parts of Africa, and Hoplostomus, probably on account of its 

 habits, occurs all over the African Eegion. 



Key to the Genera. 

 A 4 . Intermediate coxae broadly divided by the sternal process. 



B 2 . Mentum not obturating completely the buccal cavity, 

 labial palpi plainly visible. 



G. Prosternum with an ante-coxal vertical spine. 



Spiracles of last abdominal segment plane . . . . Macroma. 



a 2 . Antennae 10-jointed , ,, .. Phymatopteryx, 



