HETEROMERA, MALACODERMATA, ETC. 



99 



This material, however, seems to represent two distinct genera separable 

 as follows : — ■ 



Upper surface clothed with moderately dense and long dark pubescence ; 



alternate intervals of elytra not strongly costiform ; head more or 



less exposed beyond prothorax ; 3rd joint of antennae about equal 



to 4th. (Genotype, M. atroviolaceus Fairm.) .... Melaneros Fairm. 

 Upper surface glabrous ; alternate intervals of elytra strongly costate ; 



head almost completely concealed beneath prothorax ; 3rd joint 



of antennae only about half as long as 4th. (Genotype, M. 



acuticollis Fairm.) ......... Samoaneros, gen. nov. 



Unfortunately M. acuticollis, the species placed first by Fairmaire, does not 

 agree with his generic description in which the 3rd joint of the antennae is said 

 to be not less than the following ; I have therefore selected M. atroviolaceus as 

 the type of Melaneros. 



48. Melaneros atroviolaceus Fairm (Text-fig. 10). 



Loc. cit. 



Upolu : Malololelei, 5.1, 2o.ii., 18.iv., 25.vi., 28.xi.1924 ; Vailima, vi.1924 ; 

 Tafua Volcano, 1917 (Swale). 



Savaii : Safune, lowlands to 1000 ft., 

 l.v.1924 ; rainforest, 2000-4000 ft., 2-13.V. ; 

 Salailua, Lowlands to 1000 ft., 16.V.1924 

 (Bryan). 



The type was stated to be from Fiji, 

 but each specimen in the type series from 

 Hamburg (No. 6013) bears the label 

 ' ; Upolu," and agrees exactly with the 

 material now before me. Further, in the 

 considerable amount of material received 



of late years from Fiji, both by the Museum Text-mg. 10. -Melaneros atroviolaceus 

 and by the Imperial Bureau of Entomology, Fairmaire. 

 nothing resembling the present species has 



ever appeared, so that it may, I think, safely be assumed that the Fiji record is 

 erroneous. 



iv. 2 



3 



