192 



INSECTS OP SAMOA. 



elytra. The scutellum always shares the colour of the basal area of the elytra. 

 The four basal segments of antennae are brown, the rest black. The legs are 

 always lighter brown. 



Head broad, its width sufficient to allow it to fit into emargination of front 

 edge of pronotum ; upper surface deeply marked with a A-shaped impression, 

 and also bearing very fine and irregularly placed punctures, some of which are 

 somewhat elongate. Eyes strongly convex. Antennae extending slightly 

 beyond humerus, their roots separated by whole width of frons ; first segment 

 largest, thick, club-shaped, second small, also somewhat club-shaped, third 



longer than second, fourth shorter 

 than third ; fifth and following 

 segments thickened, more opaque 

 than basal segments, about equal, 

 although fifth appears to be some- 

 what smaller and last segment is 

 bluntly pointed. Prothorax more 

 than twice as broad as long, its front 

 margin widely emarginate, narrower 

 than posterior margin, sides oblique, 

 very gently rounded, anterior and 

 posterior lateral angles being 

 rounded right angles ; upper sur- 

 face smooth, very sparsely and 

 extremely minutely punctate, 

 punctures only visible under a 

 Text-fig. 8.-Plagiodera samoana, sp. n. x 9. high power. Scutellum large, trian- 

 gular, with apex rounded and sur- 

 face smooth, impunctate. Elytra strongly convex, narrower at base, broadening 

 behind, again narrowed towards apex ; humerus sharply raised ; surface 

 smooth, very sparsely and extremely minutely punctate, punctures only visible 

 under a high power. Under side smooth, shining, hardly punctate. Legs stout ; 

 claw segment of tarsi projecting much beyond bilobed segment, which is split 

 along middle ; claws simple. 



Length, 6| mm. ; breadth, 5| mm. 



Upolu : Malololelei, 2,000 ft., 18.iv.1925, 6 examples (including the type) ; 

 28.xi.1924, 2 examples. 



