202 Mr. G. J. Arrow on 



distincte demarcata ; corpore subtus cum pedibus testaceis, abdomine 

 sternique sutnris nigris, genubus vix infuscatis. Long. 12*5-15 m.m. 



Hab. Akabia, Hadramaut, etc. 



Several specimens were obtained during the late Mr. 

 Theodore Bent's explorations, and one was found by Capt. 

 Burton. 



This is another species of the "africanus" section closely 

 resembling P. hilaris, F., from which it differs most mark- 

 edly in the absence of a yellow lateral border to the elytra. 

 The median elytral spots are more rounded and do not 

 extend to the epipleurse. It has a rather elongate appear- 

 ance owing to the attenuated elytra and non-prominent 

 eyes, the prothorax being about as broad as it is long. The 

 insects described are those mentioned by Mr. Gahan in 

 1895 as a variety of P. africanus, to which it has also a 

 close resemblance, although differing in many slight char- 

 acters. In addition to the absence of the black front and 

 hind borders to the prothorax, the elytra of that species are 

 distinctly shorter and more truncate and the median yellow 

 mark is produced laterally so as at least to touch the 

 epipleurse. 



Chaudoir has regarded as a variety of P. hilaris, F., the 

 insect described by Dejean as P. sobrinus, and which has 

 been since redescribed by M. Maindron as P. desbordesi, for 

 what reason I do not know, unless he considers it to have 

 been wrongly identified by Chaudoir. Dejean's insect is 

 described as having a humeral spot, whereas there seems 

 to be normally no trace of this in the species under con- 

 sideration. It seems likely, however, that the type of P. 

 sobrinus may be a somewhat abnormal specimen, for there 

 are examples in our collection in which a minute vestige 

 of yellow is traceable on the shoulder. P. hilaris is a vari- 

 able insect, the black borders of the prothorax having a 

 tendency to widen until they cover the whole disc, while in 

 such highly coloured specimens a large black spot appears 

 upon the head. It is therefore not at all impossible, although 

 I have seen no truly intermediate forms, that P. sobrinus, 

 in which the prothorax is wholly pale, is a variety of it. 

 Two specimens of this latter form were brought by Messrs. 

 Grant and Forbes from the island of Socotra. 



From the detailed description given by Chaudoir of his 

 P. catoirei, it is apparent to me that he confused more 

 than one species. Being misled probably by Dejean's com- 



