Descriptive Catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa. 49 
MELANOPHTHALMA CAPICOLA, Bel., 
Rey. Franc. d’Entom., 1898, p. 161; Ann. d. Belg., 1898, p. 446. 
Oblongo-ovate, rather convex, shining, briefly pubescent, entirely 
black, except the second to ninth joints of antennz, which are 
testaceous ; head moderately punctate; eyes prominent, separated 
from the anterior margin of the thorax by some short but distinct 
tempora; antennz short, joints three to eight small, hardly longer 
than broad, ninth very little thicker, transverse but not fitting 
against the club, which is abruptly bi-articulate; prothorax trans- 
verse, narrower than the elytra, obtusely angulate in the middle of 
the sides, not closely but moderately punctured, and having a 
transverse groove in front of the base; elytra with the striz 
punctured like the interstices; first ventral segment having three 
oblique post-coxal lines. Length 1:5 mm. 
Hab. Cape Colony (Cape Town and neighbourhood). 
The bi-jointed club of the antenneze causes this species to be 
included in the first group of the sub-genus, and distinguishes it 
from the species following, which is compared by Motschulsky to 
M. sericea, Mannerh., and should therefore belong lke it to the 
Melanophthalma with a three-jointed club. 
MELANOPHTHALMA PICINA, Motsch., 
Bull. Mosce., 1866, iii., p. 285. 
“Size of M. sericea, but narrower, colour nearly black; oblongo- 
sub-ovate, sub-depressed, shining, punctate, hardly pubescent, base 
of antenne and legs rufo-piceous; eyes large, black; head sub- 
oblong, rugosely punctulate; thorax hardly broader than the head, 
sub-transverse, remotely punctate, broadly impressed transversely at 
base, obliquely narrowed in front and behind, sides distinctly angu- 
late, sub-obtuse in the posterior part; elytra nearly twice broader 
than the prothorax and three times as long, sub-ovate, broadly 
truncate in front, deeply striato-punctate, intervals narrow, a little 
raised, sparingly pilose, with the hairs seriate. Length 4 lin. ; 
width } lin. 
‘“‘ Hab. Cape of Good Hope.” 
This form, which is unknown to me, is probably a dark variety of 
M. sericea, Mann. (=transversalis, Gyll.), unless Motschulsky has 
mistaken the number of the joints of the antennal club. He says 
also that the sides of the thorax are distinctly angulate; such is not 
the case in M. capicola or M. transversalis. 
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