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Descriptions of new genera and species of phytophagous Coleoptera obtained by W. Doherty in the Malayan Archipelago

1894; Natural History Museum at Tring; Volume: 1; Linguagem: Inglês

10.5962/bhl.part.24565

0950-7655

M. Jacoby,

Biological Control of Invasive Species

THE collection of Fhytophaga, submitted to me by the Hon.Walter Rothschild for examination, and contained in that gentleman's museum, was made by Mr. Doberty, partly in the already explored greater islands of the JIalayan Archipelago, and partly in those smaller and nearly unknown islands in which, as might have been expected, many new species would be found.Although Mr. Doherty .statesthat Phytophaga were found to be comparatively scarce in the islands lying south of those which have been explored by ]Mr.^\'allace, it is probable that this is only the case during certain periods of the year, and that amongst the small species a rich harvest may yet be expected by a resident collector.As it is, more than a hundred new species are here described.Besides these, a few others from Queensland, Burmali, etc., have been added, which were obtained at other times by Mr. Doherty and certain other collectors. CRIOCERINAE.Lema nigrilabris sp.nov.Antennae (the basal two joints excepted), the labnim, underside, and legs black ; head and thorax rufous, elytra metallic greenish blue, strongly puuctate-striate, the ninth row entire.Length 2 lines.Head broad, not constricted liehiud the eyes, impunctate, the space between the eyes raised into two tubercles, lower portion of the face and the labrum black, antennae nearly extending to the middle of the elytra black, the ba-'^al two joints rufous, shining, the third and fourth joint equal (apical joints broken off), thorax slightly broader than long, moderately constricted at the sides, the basal sulcus deep, the anterior angles obtuse, the surface witli a few punctures, placed in rows at the middle of the disc ; scutellum rufous, its apex rather pointed ; elytra with a rather indi.stinctdepression near the suture at the base, strongly and closely punctate-stinate to the ( 268 ) apex, the interstices costate at tlie latter jilace ; underside and legs black, thinly clothed with gieyish jiubescence.//ft6.Nias l! (coll.I. W. Thomas).Very similar in coloration to several South American species, but differing fi-om its Eastern congeners in the black clypeus and labrum, colour of the antennae, etc., and eompariitively small size; L. honorata Baly has the head constricted behind and a longer thorax.Lema imitans sp.nov.Lower part of face, the auteuiiae, breast, and legs black ; head, thorax, and alxlomen rufous, elytra metallic blue, deei)ly punctate-striate anteriorly, the interstices costate at the apex.Length 2 lines.This species, although closely allied to L. nigrilaln'is, differs in the following way from that species : -The basal joints of the antennae are black, as well as the following three joints (the rest are wanting), the anterior angles of the thorax are slightly t.uberculiform, and the surface is entirely impunctate ; the scutellum is distinctly truncate at its apex, the elytra are more strongly punctured anteriorly, but the punctuation gets finer towards the apex ; lastly, the abdomen is rufous.Hab. Mias I.A single specimen (coll.I. W. Thomas).Lema celebensis sp.nov.Fulvous, the apex of the tibiae, and the tarsi black, thorax longer than broad, imj)unctate ; elytra violaceous blue, finely punctate-striate, abdomen clothed with yellow pubescence.Length 4 lines.Head deeply con.stricted behind the eyes, the latter deeply notched, antennae robust, short, fulvous, the third and fourth joints alike (the two apical ones broken off) ; thorax subcylindrical, longer than broad, moderately constricted at the .sides, the basal sulcus deep, the sm^'ace entirely impunctate ; scutellum obscure fulvous ; elytra with a distinct depression below the base, the latter distinctly, the rest of the surface very finely punctate-striate, the punctures distinct to the apex and closely placed in striae, the interstices imi)unctate and slightly costate at the apex ; underside and legs fulvous, rather sparingly clothed with golden yellow pubescence, the apex of the tibiae, and the tarsi black ; posterior femora extending to the first two abdominal segments.Hab. Celebes.A single specimen.To be separated from any of its nearly similarly coloured allies by the elongate thorax, and by the colour of the tibiae and tarsi.Crioceris thoracica sp.nov.Broad, robust, black, thorax with a double row of punctures, subquadrate, elytra fulvous, punctured near the suture and at the base only, underside clothed with greyish pubescence.Length 3i to 4 lines.Head deeply constricted behind the eyes, the space surrounding the latter rugose, labrum fulvous, antennae not extending to the middle of the elytra, black, the lower three joints shining, the others pubescent, longer than broad ; fourth joint nearly twice as long as the third, thorax nearly subquadrate, the sides but slightly constricted at the middle, the surface without sulcus, shining, black, the middle near ( 269 ) the anterior margin longitudinally del)rp^^.se(l.Init the sides of the depression raised anteriorly, the disc with two tine rows of imuctures ; scutellum piceous, jmheseent ; elytra very broad, the base slightly depressed near the suture, with a few widely placed ]iunctures which scarcely extend to the middle, rest of the surface entirely impunctate.Hal).Humboldt l?ay (New (juinea).This species seems very distinct from C. semipunddta, subpolita, and impressa, the underside is entirely black and has no yellow pubescence arranged in jiatcbes, but is uniformly and thinly covered with grey hairs, the thorax is peculiarly constructed on account of the raised anterior space, and the elyti'al punctuation is entirely obliterated at the sides and below the middle, the antennae have the joints also more elongate than in the allied spei-ies.C. ohlitevata Baly has similarly punctured elytra, but the antennae have differently proportionate joints, the thorax is of different structure, and the general coloration is distinct from the present species.Crioceris divisa sp.nov.Fulvous, antennae obscure fuscous ; thorax subquadrate, impunctate, elvtra with a few punctures near the suture, rufous, a transverse band at the base and a round spot near the apex black.Length 4 lines.Head deejily constricted behind the eyes, the latter very prominent, deeply notched, supra-ooular grooves very deep, antennae extending a little beyond the base of the elytra, the basal four joints fulvous, shining, tlie third and fourth etjual, slightly longer than the second, the following joints pubescent, elongate, stained with fuscous above ; thorax not longer than broad, the sides moderately deeply constricted, the surface not very convex without basal sulcus, impunctate, with the exception of a single row of fine punctm-es at the middle of the disc ; scutellum fulvous ; elytra with the base slightly raised near the suture, the surface entirely impunctate, with the exception of three short rows of punctures near the suture, the row nearest the latter continued in shape of a stria towards the apex, the lateral margin thickened, the ferruginous colour of the disc is interrupted at the base by a transverse bluish black band, extending to one-third the length of the elytra, another roundish spot is ])laced near the apex ; undersiile and legs nearlv glabrous, fuK'ous ; mesosternum truncate in front.Hab. Wandesi I. (New Guinea).\ single specimen, distinguished by its system of coloration. CRYPTOCEPHALINAE.Melixanthus rothschildi sji.nov.Fulvous, the antennae (the basal joint excepted), the ajjex of the femora, and the tibiae and tarsi black ; thorax impunctate, elytra finely punctate-striate.Length 2 lines.Of convex, cylindrical and parallel shape, the head flat, sparingly and finely l)unctured, eyes kidney-shajjed, long, broadly emarginate, the inner angle of the einargination acute, mandibles black, antennae scarcely extending to the middle of the elytra, black, the basal joint fulvous, the second small, the third twice as long, the fifth and following joints flattened and dilated ; thorax very convex and cylindrical, the sides strongly deflexed, the posterior angles acutely pointed, posti>rior margin not ( ^70 ) dentate, slightly oliliciiie at the side>, the surfaoe smooth, shining, fulvous, entirely impunctate ; scutellum small, triangular, raised jiosteriorly ; elj-tra cylindrical without any depression, finely punctate-striate, the punctures distinct nearly to the apex, the interstices flat, impunctate, fulvous, the extreme basal margin black, pygidium and underside paler; jiro>ternum broader than long, its ))Osterior margin ^lightlv concave.Hah. Martapura (S.E.Borneo).Although the |)rosteruum in this sjiecies is not of the ty[)ical shape, the short and dilated antennae seem to point to Melixanthim as the more suitable genus for its reception ; the species may be known by the impimctate interstices of the elytra and the colom-of the tiliiae and tarsi. Melixanthus timoreusis >\>. nov.Bluish black, the basal joints of the antennae fulvous; thorax closely strigosejmnctate at the sides, the disc nearly impunctate, elytra finely punctate-striate, the interstices convex at the sides.Length 1 line.Head deeply inserted into the thorax, impimctate, eyes rather closely approached, antennae short, the lower five joints fulvous, the sixth black, the other joints wanting; thorax nearlj' twice as broad as long, strongly deflexed anteriorly, with an obsolete oblique depression near the [losterior angles, the disc impressed with fine elongate punctiu-es, which are crowded at the sides and deeper, forming longitudinal strigae, the centre of the disc nearly devoid of punctures; scutellum narrowly elongate; eh'tra cylindrical, the shoulders prominent, the surface finely imnctate-striate, the sides more strongly punctured and the interstices costate ; legs black ; prosternuni longer than broad, flat, strongly punctured.Hah. Timor.Distinct fi-om M. rainuttis by the elongate punctures of the thorax and the entirel}-black colour.A single specimen. Melixanthus minutus sp. no\.Piceous below, greenish lihick alx>\e, the antennae (tlie apical joints excepted) and the legs fulvous, thorax closely punctured, the sides strigose, elytra distinctly punctate-striate, the interstices costate at the sides.Length i to J line.Kead greenish with a slight fulvous tint, distinctly punctured, lahrum fulvous, antennae short, scarcely extending beyond the thorax, all the joints short, the la.st six thickened, blackish, the others fulvous; thorax transverse, subcylindrical, the sides rounded, the median lobe acutely produced, the surface more or less closely punctured, the punctures more closely placed and larger at the sides, where the interstices are more or less strigose ; scutellum very narrow and jwinted, elongate ; elytra cylindrical, the punctures .strongand regular, closely approached, the interstices costate at the sides, slightly convex at the disc ; legs short and .stout,fulvous ; prosternum -slightly longer than broad, its apex truncate, its surface punctured, with an obsolete transverse groove near the base, the colour more or less fuhous.Hah. Tenimber ; June, .Tuly.There is .someslight difference noticeable in the punctuation of the thorax and the elytra between the thi'ee specimens before me, also in the colour of tiie antennae, which are fulvous in one instance ; but I think this due to variation or to se.xual diff'erence, as structural diflVrpncps s^eni to bo absent.( -''1 ) Kl'MoLl'lNAE.Lepina aureovillosa sp.nov.obscure fulvous or piceous.clot lied with golileu, curved, adpressed scales, terminal joints of the antennae dark, thorax closelv rngose-))unctate, elytra stronglv punctured in closely ajiproached semi-regular rows, femora dentate.Length | to 1 line.Head finely and closely iiunctnred, clothed with golden curved .scales,clvpeu.sbroader than long, without scale.s,fulvous like the labrum, antennae not extending to the middle of the elytra, fulvous, the last five joints thickened and darker, the second joint strongly thickened but short, the third and the four following joints slender, but scarcely longer than the second ; thorax subcyliudrical, about one-half broader than long, the sides witliout a distinct margin, the siuface closelv rugose-jmnctate and funii.shedwith golden, short adpressed and curved scales ; elvtra with the .shouldersprominent, convex, closely punctured in rows near the suture, more confuselv and strongly at the sides, the interstices not costate, but similarly scaly like the rest of tlie upper surface ; anterior and jx>.sterior femora witli a distinct tooth, tibiae not emarginate at apex, claws bifid; prosternimi broad, rugoselv pimctured.Huh. 'J'enimber.This small sjiecies, which seems to me to enter the genus Lepina, may be l)rincipally known by the golden short >cales of the thorax and elvtra.Aulacia bmnnea sp.nov.Ovately rounded, convex, fulvou.s,terminal joints of the antennae black, thorax remotely punctured, elytra strongly, semiregularly i)unctate-striate, femora more or less piceous.Length 1 line.Head Hat, imjiunctate, cpistome separated from the face by a transverse depression, clypeus broad, witli a few punctures, antennae extending to the middle of the elytra, black, the lower six joints fulvous, terminal joints slightly thickened, the third and fourth slender, equal; thorax three times broader than long, narrowed towards the front, the sides slightly roimded, the surface rather remotely btit distinctly ]iunctured; elytra convex, )iointed at the apex, the shoulders prominent, the punctures strong, and rather regularly jilaced in rows, the outermost row deeper than the others, the interstices impunctate ; prostemum very broad, much broader than long, breast and femora more or less piceous, rest of the underside and the tibiae fulvous, the intermediate tibiae not emarginate at the apex.Hah. Perak (.^lalay Peninsida).This genus is described by Baly as having the intermediate tibiae emarginate at the apex ; this is, however, only sometimes the case, since Baly has described one species with entire tibiae, and the jiresent one is of similar struct luv.Corynodes siibcostatus sp.nov.Melalli broadly dilated, purplish ; thorax twice as broad as long, the sides but moderately deflexed, distinctly rounded at the middle, dark blue