329 



the preceding species S. hercules. But from this it differs whoily in 

 the form of its first and last dorsal plates and in the hairiness and 

 punctuation, not to mention the granules, with which the tergites 

 are adorned. In its long and strong mandibular tooth and in the 

 powerful claws of its first two pairs of legs, it, so far as I know, 

 stands quite alone in the family. This armature would seem to indi- 

 cate some peculiarity in the nature of its food or habitat, but until 

 it is known whether the female presents the same features or whether 

 they are characteristic of the male sex, it seems idle to speculate on 

 the point. 



Zephronia. 



28. Zephronia nigriceps sp. n. PI. XX, figs. 2 — 2 b . 



?Syn. Sphaeropœus insignis (Brandt), Karsch Arch. f. Naturg. 



1881, pi. II, fig. 11, D, d, d, — ? Sph. insignis Brandt. 

 Java: Buitenzorg. A large number of examples. 



Colour (in alcohol) of a dull ochre brown; anterior half of tergites 

 with greenish tint; head, nuchal plate, anterior border of 1 st dorsal 

 plate and hinder edge of the rest of the tergites blackish. 



Q, Head-plate punctured throughout although more sparsely above 

 than below; furnished with longish hairs below; its upper margin 

 shallowly excavated in the middle line. 



Antennae of moderate length, apical segment clavate. 



Nuchal-plate somewhat deeply but irregularly punctured through- 

 out, its anterior border lightly sinuate; a conspicuous sulcus, defined 

 below by a fine ridge, crosses the plate in its anterior half, running 

 from angle to angle, not closely in contact with the anterior border 

 and in the middle not following its sinuation. 



2 nd dorsal plate with upturned anterior edge; the raised part of 

 the tergite, which is coarsely and closely punctured, with a vertical, 

 smooth, anterior border; the middle of this vertical border is marked 

 by a strong keel which runs over the summit of the plate from side 

 to side; laterally this keel is connected with the upper surface by 

 about half a dozen oblique ridges; lamina of the plate very large, 

 rising somewhat suddenly , though not abruptly , high up opposite the 

 eye, the edge evenly rounded, but considerably thicker near the an- 

 terior point of origin of the lamina than elsewhere. 



Tergites, following the first, shortly hairy in parts, closely and thickly 



