78 INSECTS OF SAMOA. 



pulverised dry grass in a cave, is the interesting note " emits a steady greenish 

 light." It is to be hoped that the living insects will be carefully observed in 

 order to determine whether this luminosity is a normal function of the beetle, 

 or another case of an insect having become either infected with luminous 

 bacteria, and moribund, or smeared with some putrescent substance containing 

 luminous bacteria. No case of true light emission is hitherto known in this 

 family of beetles. 



16. Thesilea puncticeps Fairmaire. 



Ann. Soc. Ent. France (6), I, p. 281, 1881. 



Upolu : Apia, x.1924, 26.V.1924 (Bryan) ; v-ix.1916 (Swale) ; Tuaefu, 

 16.ix.1923 (Swezey and Wilder). 

 Savaii : 1000 ft., 21 .xi. 1925. 



Agrees well with the description : Fairmaire expresses doubt as to the type 

 locality, giving Fiji or some neighbouring island. A single specimen only 

 from each of the above localities ; two of them are considerably smaller than 

 the rest, 5-5 mm. instead of 7 or 8 mm., but do not appear to differ specifically. 



It may be noted that T. ruficomis Bates, T. politula Fauv., and T. mirabilis 

 Fauv. (Geb. Col. Cat. Tenebr., p. 502 *), should all be transferred to Callismilax. 

 Of the remaining New Caledonian species, T. baladica Montr, would appear to 

 be a true Thesilea ; T.fauveli Geb. (versicolor Fauv.), T. kanalensis Fauv., and 

 T. purpurea Fauv. are unknown to me. 



17. Chariotheca planicollis Fairmaire. 



Rev. Zool. (2), I, p. 451, 1849 (Olisthaena) . 



Thesilea planicollis Fairm., Geb. Col. Cat. Tenebr., p. 502. 



Upolu : Apia, x.1924, i.-v.l925 ; Malololelei, 2000 ft., 28.xi.1924. 



Savaii : Safune, rain forest, 2000-4000 ft., 8.V.1924 (Bryan). 



Tutuila : Amauli, 5.ix.l923 ; Fagasa, 7.ix.l923 (Swezey and Wilder) ; 

 Pago Pago, iv.1918 (Kellers). 



Already recorded by Gebien from Samoa (coll. Dr. Friederichs), as C. 

 cupripennis Pasc. var. In Tenebr. N. Gum., p. 353, the same author quotes 



* The references to Fauvel's paper are erroneously given as Rev. d'Ent., xxiii, 1904, instead 

 of xxiv, 1905. 



