224 Mr. M. Jacoby on 



the frontal cavity. It will be seen by this that the ex- 

 amination of the male organ is absolutely necessary in 

 separating these very closely allied forms, and as Lacordaire 

 has never done this it is almost impossible to recognize 

 with certainty many of his species or to know to which of 

 them his varieties belong. 



Peploptera irregularis, sp. n. 



Black, the basal joints of the antennae fulvous, thorax finely punc- 

 tate, reddish-fulvous with three longitudinal black bands, elytra flavous, 

 irregularly and closely punctured, a sutural anteriorly interrupted 

 stripe and a more narrow lateral one, black, the four posterior tibiee 

 more or less flavous. 



Var. The lateral stripe only distinct at the middle, the shoulders 

 with a black spot. 



Length 7-10 millim. 



Head depressed, black, rugosely punctured throughout, finely 

 pubescent at the sides, the anterior edge of the clypeus but little 

 emarginate, antennae short, not extending to the middle of the 

 thorax, black, the lower four joints fulvous, the fifth and following 

 joints transverse ; thorax scarcely twice as broad as long, the sides 

 rounded before the middle, straight at the base, the anterior 

 margin only half the width of that of the posterior one, the surface 

 sparingly and very finely punctured, reddish-fulvous, with a 

 central and two lateral longitudinal black bands, which are fre- 

 quently interrupted anteriorly, the middle one pointed, the others 

 placed at some distance from the lateral margins and blunt at their 

 ends, scutellum short and triangular, black ; elytra with the lateral 

 lobes strongly produced, rather finely and very closely punctured, 

 the punctures placed in very closely approached and irregular rows, 

 flavous, with a sutural and lateral black band, not extending to the 

 base nor the apex ; below closely covered with white silky pubes- 

 cence, black, the posterior four tibiae more or less flavous at their 

 apex. 



Hah. Natal, Malvern (C. Barker) ; also Transvaal. 



I cannot identify this species with any of those described 

 by Lacordaire or since, but would have placed it with P. 

 dorsata to which at all events it is closely allied, the 

 irregular and close punctuation of the elytra however 

 differs entirely from that of the last-named insect, 

 Lacordaire especially speaking of 10 more or less distinct 

 vows of punctures and an impunctate thorax ; there are a 



