1898.] of the CoUoptera of South Africa. 359 



Gen. ABACETUS, 



Catal., p. 545. 

 Abacetus emeritus. 



Intense black, very shining, glabrous, palpi and basal joints of 

 antennae piceous ; head smooth, frontal sulci moderately deep, not 

 arcuate ; prothorax one-third broader than long, rounded laterally 

 from base to apex, and ampliate in the middle, sinuate close to the 

 basal angle only, outer margins carinate and very slightly recurved, 

 upper part hardly convex, median and lateral grooves very distinct, 

 no basal punctures ; elytra oblong, very slightly broader at base 

 than the prothorax at its widest part, deeply striate, the striae and 

 intervals smooth, and the latter not quite plane ; under side black, 

 shining. Length 9 mm. ; width 4 mm. 



Somewhat similar to A. nigrinus, Catal, p. 547, which it should 

 precede, but with a more robust facies. 



Hab. Zambesia (Salisbury). 



Abacetus viarius. 



Closely allied to A. majorinus, Catal., p. 550; it is smaller and 

 black instead of being dark metallic green, but the elytra have a faint 

 bronze-black sheen, the prothorax is more constricted laterally at 

 the base, and a little less ampliate in the middle in proportion to the 

 size ; the base is also punctured, the punctures are deeper, the width 

 of the base of the elytra is slightly greater owing to the base of 

 the prothorax being narrower, the sculpture is identical, but the 

 intervals are a little more convex, and the legs are brighter red. 

 Length 5 mm. ; width 2 mm. 



Hab. Natal (Malvern). 



Abacetus perturbator. 



Bronze-black, very shining, antennae black with the exception of 

 the basal joint, and sometimes the basal part of the second which 

 are red, palpi red, femora black, tibiae and tarsi rufescent ; head 

 normal, impressions deep, not arcuate ; prothorax orbicular from 

 the base to four-fifths of the length, and straight from there to the 

 basal angle which is sharp, but does not project, base closely punc- 

 tured ; elytra oblong, nearly twice as broad at base as the base of 

 the prothorax, and one -third more than the prothorax at its widest 



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