1897.] of the Coleoptem of South Africa. 49 



Tribe EUPLECTINI. 



Rattray, Rev. d'Entom., 1890, pp. 82 and 91. 



Body elongate, more or less depressed ; antennae distant at base 

 or approximate ; maxillary palpi variable, sometimes recumbent in 

 an upper fovea ; prothorax more or less cordate ; elytra variable ; 

 abdomen with five conspicuous segments on the upper part and six 

 underneath, sometimes even seven in the male ; intermediate coxae 

 globose, not prominent ; posterior ones conical ; first ventral segment 

 more or less conspicuous ; tarsi triarticulate, with the basal joint 

 very small ; one single claw. 



This tribe includes a large number of minute insects found in 

 marshy places throughout the world. 



The characters of the genera are subject to a great deal of modifi- 

 cation, and therefore very inconsistent. 



Gen. ZETHOPSUS, Reitter, 



Ent. Monatsbl. 1880, p. 85; Raffr., Rev. Entom., 1887, p. 50. 



Zethus, Schauf. Nunq. Otios. 11, p. 249. — nomprevec. 



Linear, depressed ; head transverse behind, with a large antennal 

 tubercle in front and a large, superior fovea for the reception of the 

 palpi on each side ; eyes placed laterally and backward ; maxillary 

 palpi quadriarticulate, first joint inconspicuous, second large, slender 

 at base and strongly clavate, third inserted on the side of the 

 second, smaller and irregular, fourth transverse, irregularly ovate and 

 inserted in the middle of the preceding one ; antennae ten-jointed, 

 first joint large, second much bigger than the following, third to ninth 

 inclusive moniliform, transverse, tenth largest of all, globose or 

 briefly ovate; prothorax more or less cordate, impressed ; elytra sub- 

 quadrate ; abdomen elongate, marginate ; legs short ; intermediate 

 coxae close to the posterior ones ; first joint of the tarsi subcorneal, 

 second hardly noticeable, third large and with a single claw. 



This genus is a most peculiar one ; the joints of the palpi fold on 

 each other into a deep fovea situated on the upper surface of the 

 head on each side of the frontal tubercle ; the abdominal sexual 

 indices are wanting, but sometimes the frontal tubercles of the 

 male show some difference from those of the female. 



It is more largely represented in the Indo-Malayan region than in 

 Africa. I have, however, captured several species in Zanzibar, and 

 one occurs in Mashunaland. 



4 



