179 
HALTICIDES. 
Plate VIII, fig. 4. 
Reference :—Provisionally determined as belonging to the Halticides. not 
in the British Museum Collection. 
Classification: ~Order, COLEOPTERA, Family, Chrysomelida, 
Tree attacked:—Aoswellia serrata. 
Description. 
Beetle.—A medium-sized thick set insect with small yellow 
head and two prominent black eyes. Thorax yellow, slightly 
broader than long, small. Elytra broader than thorax, yellow to 
brownish in colour, the yellow being generally in irregularly- 
shaped faint blotches. At times a few faintly marked black spots 
are present. Inthe @ the elytra are sometimes all yellow with 
scattered brownish markings and small spots. The elytra are 
broadly striated with rows of punctures between the striz and are 
deflexed posteriorly leaving one segment of the body exposed. 
The body is thick and pointed posteriorly, yellow to yellow brown 
beneath and shining. Antenne and legs canary yellow, the 
former being slender and-short. Posterior pair of legs are long 
and have their femora (thighs) remarkably thickened and 
developed, thus enabling the insect to leap the great distances 
it is capable of doing. These femora are at times dark yellow 
to brown in colour. The posterior tibize are spined at their 
bases. The third tarsal joint is deeply bilobed. 
Length ¢ jgths inch; @ gths inch. PI. VIII, fig 4, shows 
a dorsal and side view of this Chrysomelid. 
Life History. 
This beetle appears on the wing at the beginning of August 
and possibly during the latter part of July, 
It feeds upon the leaves of Boswellia serrata. These leaves 
are compound ones, and it apparently attacks the upper leaflets, 
first feeding downwards until about two-thirds of the compound 
leaf (from top downwards) has been more or less eaten away, 
