Descriptive Catalogue of the Colcoptera of South Africa. 195 
Mylabeis alterna, Cast., 
Plate XXIII., fig. 33. 
Hist. Natur. Ins., ii., 1840, p. 270; Mars., Monogr., 1873, p. 410, 
pi. iv., fig. 8. 
Black, moderately shiny ; head and prothorax very closely punctate, 
the punctures round, nearly contiguous, the pubescence black, dense, 
erect ; on the frontal part the smooth, raised line is very plain, and the 
impressions on the prothorax are very marked ; antennae bright yellow, 
with the two basal joints black, the third one not appreciably longer than 
the fourth ; elytra closely coriaceous and briefly pubescent, on the basal 
part is a small yellow dorsal spot, as often as not quite obliterated, but 
no lateral one ; before the median part is a yellow transverse narrow band 
of nearly equal width throughout, the hind border of which does not 
reach the median part ; past the median part is another transverse yellow 
band nearly equal in width to the anterior one but occasionally narrowed 
towards the outer margin ; the dorsal space from the hind border of the 
anterior band to a short distance from the apex is rufescent brown except 
for a narrow space along the outer margin. 
Length 18-26 mm. ; width 6f-9 mm, 
Hab. Cape Colony (Seymour, East London), Natal and Transvaal 
(probably the whole of these two territories). 
Var. viBEX, 
Plate XXIIL, fig. 37. 
Closely resembles the type form, but differs in the markings of the 
elytra ; the basal spots are entirely obliterated, the ante-median yellow 
band is normal, but the post-median is very narrow and interrupted 
shortly before the median part. This variety is very rare. 
Length 20 mm. ; width 7 mm. 
Hab. Natal. 
Var. IRRITANS, 
Plate XXIIL, figs. 34, 35, 36. 
Eesembles the type, but the posterior yellow band is completely 
obliterated, and is replaced by a dull rufescent one seldom reaching the 
outer margin ; there is occasionally a minute yellow dorsal basal dot, and 
the first yellow band, which is of nearly equal width in the male, is broader 
and narrowed towards the outer margin in the female. 
Length 21-26 mm. ; width 8-10 mm. 
Hab. Natal (Durban). 
