Die afrikanischen Callichrominen. 



211 



gefunden; Phrosyne (viridis Serv.) orientalis nov. war ,,bei Derema 

 eine häufige Art, Anfang September und Anfang Oktober an Holz 

 fliegend, aber auch auf Sträuchern, Kräutern und Gräsern sitzend 

 gefunden, namentlich häufig Anfang November auf Mais, am 10. De- 

 zember auf Holz." Interessante Angaben über südafrikanische Calli- 

 chrominen macht ferner Distant (1904). Bezeichnend für die Lebens- 

 weise der von ihm aufgeführten Arten ist die Tatsache, daß die Imagines 

 meist schwärmend angetroffen und im Fluge gefangen wurden. Diese 

 Mitteilungen decken sich mit den Beobachtungen Methners in 

 Deutsch- Ostafrika, welcher ebenfalls die Mehrzahl der Callichrominen 

 entweder auf Schirmblütlern (vgl. Äromia moschata L.) und Cyperaceen 

 oder auf geschlagenem Holz fand und die große Flüchtigkeit der 

 einzelnen Formen bei der geringsten Störung erfahren mußte. Es ist 

 von Wert, die Angaben Distants für die von ihm mitgeteilten Arten 

 im Zusammenhang anzugeben: Compsomera elegantissima White: 

 „Mr. Bell-Marley informs me that this is a rare species in Natal, and 

 very difficult to capture. It falls when disturbed, and quickly takes 

 a long flight. In the Transvaal I netted all my specimens while on the 

 wing"; Eugoa dalmanni Fahrs. (Jonthodina sculftilis White? vergl. 

 S. 117): ,,I generally took this rather abundant species on the wing"; 

 Phyllocnema gueinzii White: ,,This seems always a scarce species, 

 and I only met with it once during four years coUecting in the Transvaal. 

 I first acquired a single specimen, captured by Mr. Zutrzenka, to 

 whom it was hitherto unknown, but could never find it myself, tili 

 driving over the veld near Pretoria one noon, I was surprised to see 

 some stränge and very brightly-coloured insects on the wing. I then 

 netted some half-dozen specimens of this Longicorn, but did not 

 come across it again. On the wing, with the elytra raised, it is a most 

 conspicoous insect"; Änubis clavicornis F.: ,,Mr. Bell-Marley informs 

 me that in Natal he has captured this species on some yellow flower- 

 heads (Compositae), and that it prefers open country"; Homcdoceraea 

 viridis Pasc, (claviger Dalm. und scabriuscula Thoms.): ,,I always 

 found this to be one of the most abundant floral species"; Litofus 

 dispar Thoms. : ,,Mr. Bell-Marley has recently sent me this species, 

 which he captured at Fields Hill, Natal, ,n November, 1904. On one 

 morning he found these beetles flying ,,in dozens" in a fine avenuen of 

 wattle trees, and he tooke them Coming out of the old posts that 

 had been plante d two or three years previously, and which served 

 as Standards. He heard within one stump a faint sound as of some 

 insect gnawing, which proved correct, a son earching he found, in 

 addition to White Ants, a number of these beetles, which had bred up 

 inside, and where then Coming out. Mr. Bell-Marley considers it must 

 take the insect some time to obtain its release, owing to the difficulty 

 in squeezing itself out. On gaining the the orifice it extruders the dust, 

 and remains a short time in a halfescaped condition, it then clears 

 itself, and flies in search of th^ tree. The female is usually larger than 

 the male, and smells slightly ,,stronger". They extend their antennae 

 in front , of them, and if chased fly very quickly. If, howeweri the 



14* 6. fleft 



