256 ^ Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 
curved at apex ; elytra broader than the prothorax, long, covering the 
abdomen, elongated in most species, converging in front or with distinct 
shoulders, pubescent, but occasionally glabrous, singly rounded and either 
plainly dehiscent at apex in which case the apical abdominal segment 
is not entirely covered, or not ; legs long, slender ; the claws of all legs 
are either plainly cleft or only the posterior are so divided, even in one 
species (mesemhryantlicmi) they are only slightly incised at the apex. 
Beauregard has endeavoured to include into the genus Gantharis- 
Lytta a number of species in which, among other very secondary 
characters, the basal joint of the antennae is short, clubbed at apex, the 
prothorax is either transverse or sub-spherical, the elytra broader than the 
prothorax and nearly always glabrous, and with the edges of the suture 
parallel. Undoubtedly some endemic South African species answer to 
this description, especially nitidula, fiavipennis, semilineata, lurida ; but 
amoena, suaveola, spilotella, mesembryanthemi, &c., form passages of tran- 
sition between these species, which, so far as I know, have no close allies 
in the other parts of Africa, and those that he includes in the genus 
Epicauta. I have endeavoured in vain to divide the South African ones 
in sections deserving to be raised to the rank of genera, except in the case 
of Cyaneolytta, Psalydolytta, and Prionotolytta. 
Of the South African species only two, C. velata and C. strangulata, 
both very closely related to Senegambian and Central African forms, 
reach Central Africa. 
We do not possess any information regarding the life-history of our 
species. All those I captured exude a yellow liquid through the joints of 
the legs and also through the mouth. They are usually met with in the 
spring or after summer rains, devouring the petals of flowers. G. pallidi- 
'pcnnis is usually met with on graminaceous plants, and oftener than not 
in the fields of oats or barley at about the same time that the young of the 
crickets, (Edalus marmoratus and Acrotylus deusttcs, make their appear- 
ance ; G. nitidula on the dry, arid spots where Bohardia spathcea flowers, 
and where also the dry ground, sun-loving crickets, Galoptenus hcematopus 
and Spiling onotus, sp., generally congregate, &c., &c. 
Key to the Species. 
FiEST Division. 
Elytra pubescent. 
A^. Elytra plainly divaricating from each other at apex. 
B4. Prothorax as broad as long, bell-shape, anterior part attenuate 
for about one-third of the length. 
C^. Antennae very long, joints long, narrow, sub-parallel. 
