MICRAPHTHONA, 



197 



with the interstices very finely granulate when seen under a high 

 power ; epipleura broad at base, slightly narrowing towards the 

 apex. Underside smooth, impunctate : anterior coxal cavities 

 closed behind ; first abdominal segment double the length of the 

 second ; posterior femora strongly iucrassate, posterior tibiae with 

 a minute spine at the base. 

 Length, 2| mm. 



Bombay : Belgaum (Andrewes Coll.). 



Type and three more examples in the British Museum. 



Genus MICRAPHTHONA, Jacoby. 

 Micraphthona, Jac, Mem. Soc. Ent. Belg. vii, 1900, p. 125. 

 Genotype, Micraphthona nigrita, Jac. 



Body oblong. Head broad, punctate. Antennae slender, about 

 as long as the body, with the basal segments as tl.uk as the apical 

 segments ; second segment short, third twice as long, the following 

 segments somewhat more elongate. Prothorax broader than long, 

 as broad at its base as in front, the four lateral angles not 

 produced, the surface without any sulcus, confusedly and closely 

 punctate. Elytra broader at base than prothorax, confusedly 

 and closely punctate, their epipleura narrow at about the middle 

 but distinct. Underside : posterior femora moderately robust, 

 tibia not sulcate, all armed with a small spine at the apex, but 

 this is seen with difficulty ; first segment of posterior tarsi as 

 long as the following segmeuts together; claws appendiculate ; 

 prosternum very narrow, rather indistinct ; anterior coxal 

 cavities closed behind. 



The simill species for which this genus has been erected 

 resembles Lujperomorpha in its general aspect, but differs in the 

 relative lengths of the second and third segments of the antennae 

 and in having the anterior coxal cavities closed behind ; the 

 elytral epipleura are narrow posterior to the middle, and the 

 anterior coxae are closely approximated, so that the prosternum is 

 extremely narrow; the posterior femora are, however, strongly 

 enough iucrassate to justify the placing of the genus in the 

 Halticin^e. 



Range. Assam. 



136. Micraphthona nigrita, Jacoby. 



Micraphthona nigrita, Jac, Mem. Soc. Ent. Belg. vii, 1900, p. 126. 



Body black; legs fulvous; the three basal segments of the 

 antenna fulvous ; apical half of the posterior femora piceous. 



Head obsoletely punctate, frontal elevations indistinct, clypeus 

 distinctly raised between the antennae. The structure and relative 

 lengths of the segments of the antennae are as stated under the 

 genus. Prothorax broader than long, sides nearly straight, angles 



