48 Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 
Gen. MELANOPHTHALMA, Motsch., 
Bull. Mosce., 1866, ii., p. 269. 
Body ovate, short, convex, more or less pubescent ; antennse 
eleven-jointed, inserted upwards at the anterior angles of the fore- 
head, the two or three apical joints forming the club; eyes globose, 
lateral, more or less prominent, coarsely granulate ; thorax without 
discoidal cost, usually transversely furrowed or foveate near the 
base, sometimes, however, without prescutellary depression ; 
scutellary depression distinct; elytra striato-punctate; abdomen 
six-jointed in both sexes. 
Melanophthaima proper is characterised by the tempora of the 
head being a little prolonged behind the eyes; the fore tibiz are 
single in both sexes, and the first abdominal segment has the post- 
coxal impressed lines. 
Synopsis of Species. 
Antennal club bi-jointed. 
Head and thorax ferruginous; elytra black or wholly ferruginous fuscipennis. 
Body wholly black, except the second to ninth joints of the 
antenne, which are testaceous) <1 6) i) a a ee ea pecola: 
Antennal club tri-jointed. 
Body wholly black, except the legs and the base and club of the 
antenne, Which are piceous red .. .. .. sieil elm UCUIEG. 
Body more or less ferruginous, antennal aiid “anfhnssonte -» +. transversalis. 
MELANOPHTHALMA FUSCIPENNIS, Mannerh.., 
Germ. Zeits., v., p. 62, No. 58. 
Ovate, rather short, convex, briefly pubescent; head, thorax, 
antenne, and legs rufo-testaceous; elytra black or piceous brown, 
seldom rufo-ferruginous ; antennal club bi-jointed; thorax trans- 
verse, slightly rounded on the sides, narrower than the elytra at 
the base, hind angles almost straight; the surface is not closely 
but moderately punctate, and there is a slight ante-scutellary im- 
pression, often obsolete ; elytra not closely punctato-striate, with the 
intervals sub-convex, rather broad, and indistinctly punctulate ; fore 
tibiz and tarsi simple in both sexes. Length 1-1°5 mm. 
I have seen only one example from Frere, Natal. It is wholly 
ferruginous, and probably immature. I imagine that this small 
and elegant species, the home of which is in Southern Europe 
and Northern Africa, is not uncommon in South Africa. 
