Cambridge Entomological Club, 1874
PSYCHE

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A. Théry.
New Buprestid Beetles Collected in the Solomon Islands and Fiji Islands by Dr. W. M. Mann, with Descriptions of Some Other New Indo-Malayan Species.
Psyche 44(1-2):33-55, 1937.

This article at Hindawi Publishing: https://doi.org/10.1155/1937/93257
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New Buprestid Beetles
NEW BUPRESTID BEETLES COLLECTED IN THE
SOLOMON ISLANDS AND FIJI ISLANDS BY DR. W. M. MANN, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME OTHER NEW INDO-MALAYAN SPECIES
BY A. T H ~ Y
Attach6 au Mushm National d9Histoire Naturelle de Paris The present paper contains descriptions of new species of Buprestid~ collected, for the most part, by Dr. W. M. Mann in the Solomon Islands and the Fiji Islands. I have to thank my colleague, Dr. P. J. Darlington, of the Museum of Com- parative Zoology, Harvard College, Cambridge, U. S. A., in whose care Dr. Mann's insects are at present placed, for lending me the specimens here described. Genus Paracupta H. Deyr.
Paracupta meyevi Kerr., Ann. SOC. Ent. Belg. XLIV, 1900, p. 63.
This species is still very rare in collections; one Q speci- men only was captured by Dr. Mann, at Mt. Victoria, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands; I have compared this specimen with the unique type in the collection of the British Museum to which it is exactly similar. Kerremans' description is not quite exact; the author states that the five furrows of the prono- tum are uninterrupted ; as a matter of fact only the two ex- ternal and the median furrows are so, the two others are lightly interrupted at the middle. The Kerremans Collection at the Paris Museum contains a specimen of this species-I Paracupta evansi n. sp. (Pl. 111, Fig. 1) Length : 19 mm. ; breadth : 6.5 mm-d. Elongate, navicu- 'The first collection of the late Mr. Kerremaks was sold to the British Museum in the year 1903.
A new collection containing the
species described by this author from 1903 to 1915 was divided after his death; the African species except those of Madagascar have been purchased by the Mushe du Congo, at Tervueren (Belgium), the rest of the collection by the MusGum National dYHistoire Naturelle at Paris.



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Jar, rather convex, narrower behind than in fronty feebly gibbous above. Head and pronoturn green, with the bottoms of the depremions coppery xed; scutellum reddish; elytra brown with a slight greenish tinge. Beneath, shining green with cupreous reflexions, the &reme tip of the last segment reddishy the ground of a11 the depressions, above and be- neath, clothed with deciduous, short pubescence, intermixed with a brownish secretion. Anhnn~, apex of the tibiz, and tarsi entirely of a bright yellow co10r; the rest of the tibk and the femora castaneous.
Head triangularly imprased in front, the summit of this irnpm~sim reaching the. vertex ; front separated from the eye by a shaHow groove interrupted at the middle of its length and communicating with the hntd imp~ession, Eyes large, a little more widely ~epamted in front than on the vertex. Antenn~ reaching the level of the inkrmediake COXE. Fronoturn nearly once and a third as wid^ as long- ; as wide at the anterior margin as long. Anterior margin arcuately emarginate. Greatest width at about posterior two sevenths of kngth; sides nearly straight from the anterior angles to middle, then arcuate, and feebly narrowed quite near the base. The base nearIy transversely truncate; the posterior angles feebly acute; the lateml margin with lateral carina not we11 defined? coarsely punctate. Disk with an entire, narrow? longitudinal stria at middle; a broad irregular de- pression dong the lateral margin on each side extending from near the anterior margin to the base, and widest at the be, narrowed anteriorly, with the bottom very finely rugose. Behind the anterior margin, on each sidey there is a little, finely punctured Area. The disk is coarsely punctured. Scutellum smal1, smooth, shining? wider than long, Elytxa wider at the shoulders than the pronoturn at the base? truncate at the humera1 angles; the sides nearly parallel to the apical thirdy then straight and narrowed to apex, with sides stxong!y serrate from the apical third to the tip, the serration becoming obsolete at the apex, the sutural .angles feebly acute. The side of the disk with a large de- pression dong the lateral margin, extending from the humerus to the tip, this depre~~ion very findy and very densely punctate, limited exteriarly by the epipleural carha. Each elytxon with three elevated, parallel, ghining COB*, not



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19371 New Buprestid Beetles 35
including the scutellar one which is short, extending only from the base to anterior third and then united to the sutural one; the intervals between the cost% very finely and densely punctate? less shining than the cost=. The first costa only is entire; between the second and third cosk, near the humerus, there is a short obsolete costula. Beneath very shining on the smooth spaces, and sparsely punctured. Prosternal episterna and a broad depression on each side of the abdominal segments finely and densely punctate and covered with a very fine recumbent pubescence. The last segment with a small triangular emargination at the apex. Prosternum feebly convex ; the prosternal process strongly grooved? strongly punctured in the region of the sulcus. Described from a single specimen (type, Museum of Com- parative Zoology no. 22,507) collected at Taviuni, Somo Somo, Fiji Islands, by Dr. W. M. Mann. There is also, in the British Museum's collection? a specimen of this new species captured in the Fiji Islands by Mr. Evans. This specimen is a little smaller.
The description of this species agrees pretty well with that of Paracupta dilutipes F'airm., Pet. Nouv. Ent. II., 1878, p. 278, from the same region; the type of this species seems to be lost. Fairmaire's description is so short that it is quite useless ; the author says : "Elongata, antice posticeque fere a?quaZiter attenuata? modice conzexa, faseo-aneu, metalliea; foveis duabus prothoracis vittaque elytrorum marginali cupreis griseo-sericeis; subtus der~se Zuteo sericans, medio fere lmvis; afitennis pedibusque flavo-testaceis, femoribus paulo obscurioribus; elytris post medium attenuatis, parum profunde striatis, intervallis fere pIanis, strigosis." P. evansi is evidently 44bicolor" above. The expressions in Roman type in Fairmaire's description, above, seem not to agree with the description of P. evansi mihi.
Paracupta manni n. sp. (Pl. 111, Fig. 2) Length : 19 mm.; breadth: 6 mm.-d.
Elongate, rather
acuminate posteriorly. Above uniformly golden green with reddish tinge at the tips of the elytra. Beneath light cupre-
ous ; antennze and legs light brown.
Head rather wide, with a triangular depression in front,



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36 Psyche [March- June
the bottom of this depression very finely punctate and clothed with an inconspicuous pale pubescence. The epistoma sepa- rated from the front by a swelling. Eyes elliptic, feebly con- vex, converging to the occiput ; antenn~ reaching the level of the anterior cotyloid cavities.
Pronotum a little more than once and one third as wide at base as at the anterior margin, and a little more than once and a half as wide as long; widest at the base; the anterior margin strongly arcuately emarginate; the sides feebly at- tenuate from the base to the anterior third, then arcuately narrowed to the anterior angles, the posterior acute and rather prominent; the base nearly tranversely truncate. Disk coarsely sculptured, the punctures becoming more distinct near the sides and the anterior angles; the middle of the surface narrowly furrowed; each side with a deep, wide depression, finely punctured, occupying half of the length and reaching the posterior margin. Scutellum small, rounded posteriorly and straight an- teriorly, smooth.
Elytra as wide as the pronotum at base, slightly expanded and truncate at the shoulders, then nearly parallel to behind the middle, and straight and strongly acuminate to the tips, strongly and sharply serrate along the margin from the middle to apex; the sutural angle toothed. Surface with eight punctate striz, the juxtasutural stria reaching only from the base to the basal quarter of the length; the intervals between the stri~ very slightly convex.
The prothoracic episterna, and the sides beneath, very finely punctate and clothed with very inconspicuous re- cumbent pubescence; the middle of the body shining, gla- brous, very sparsely punctate. Prosternal process deeply furrowed and coarsely punctate at middle; first abdominal segment flattened at middle ; last abdominal segment brown- ish, constricted at apex, angularly and feebly emarginate. Legs and tarsi long.
A single specimen (type, M. C. Z. no. 22,508) of this very beautiful species was captured by Dr. W. M. Mann at Nadarivatu, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands.
It seems to me that this species is very unlike a11 others in the genus.




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New Buprestid Beetles
Genus Haplotrinchus Kerr.
Haplotrinchus manni n. sp. (Pl. 111, Fig. 3) Length : 12 mm. ; breadth : 4.5 mm.- d. Wide, very at- tenuate posteriorly, the elytra tailed at apex. Green above, with violaceous reflexions; beneath green? the tarsi bright brown.
Head as wide as the anterior margin of the pronotum; eyes slightly convex, regularly elliptic, and very much closer on the vertex than in front. Front with a rounded depres- sion near the epistoma occupying its entire breadth, and a longitudinal one above the first and separated from it by a smooth and shining transverse swelling ; this second depres- sion reaches the upper level of the eyes and is separated from the anterior margin of the eyes by a narrow, smooth, and shining carina; the bottom of this depression is clothed with inconspicuous pubescence. Epistome emarginate. An- tennal cavities subtriangular. Antenn~ reaching to base of the pronotum, serrate from the fifth joint, the fourth and fifth subequal, the third joint a third shorter than the fourth, and the second a third shorter than the third. Pronotum widest at base, about once and a half as wide at base as in front, nearly once and three quarters as wide as long. The anterior margin slightly bisinuate ; the sides rather regularly rounded, with a little notch near the an- terior angles produced by a small transverse furrow which runs along the anterior margin; the posterior angles rec- tangular; the sides bordered by a sharp carina, feebly sinuous, which reaches to the anterior transverse furrow already mentioned. Base slightly bisinuate. Surface bounded on each side by a broad cariniform swelling which runs along the lateral margin for two thirds of length from base; this swelling limited outside by an impression, very finely punctured at bottom, occupying the whole length of the pronotum. The middle of the disk smooth, shining, irregular, coarsely punctured, with a median, longitudinal, obsolete, finely punctate sulcus.
Scutellum cordiform, convex, smooth? shining. Elytra once and a quarter as wide at the shoulders as the pronotum at base, outlined by a narrow smooth carina at the base, the shoulders expanded and forming a rounded lobe



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38 Psyche [March- June
with a little notch behind; slightly enlarged to the posterior third, then sinuously constricted, ending in a trispinous tail each side of the suture, the external spine of each elytron longer and more acute than the median one but not reaching the level of the median one. Disk shining, punctate-striate, the intervals convex and punctate. Each elytron with seven large, finely punctate, and inconspicuously pubescent areas, arranged as follows : one in the humeral depression ; another one, large and rounded, at the middle of the length of the elytra, nearer the margin than the suture; a third one marginal, elongate, in the posterior third; and a juxta- sutural one at the posterior fifth ; the other areas less marked, disposed between the humeral and the median areas. Anterior margin of the prosternum angulately prominent on each side, with a little triangular notch at the middle ; the prosternal process densely punctate, pubescent, not mar- gined. Prothoracic episterna strongly and rather densely punctate on the outer sides, smooth and sparsely punctate on the inner sides. Abdominal segments strongly but sparsely punctate, the anterior angles finely and densely punctate and inconspicuously pubescent. The last sternite rounded at apex, with an acute spine on each side. Aedeagus narrow, its sides furnished with some little, erect, spaced denticles. Parameres angulate at tip.
The 9 is generally larger than the cr; the last sternite is the same at apex; the prosternal process is strongly and sparsely punctate, not pubescent.
Six specimens of this new species (type d, M. C. Z. no. 22,509) were captured by Dr. W. M. Mann at Vanua Ava, Fiji Islands; a paratype stands in my own collection at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle at Paris, and another in the British Museum.
Genus Nosotrinchus Obb.
Nosotrinchus solomonensis n. sp. (PI. Ill, Fig. 4) Length : 12 mm. ; breadth : 4 mm.- ( ? Q ) . Elongate, at-
tenuate posteriorly, the apex of the elytra not forming a tail, as in N. coeruleipennis Fairm.; blue, elytra olive green with a longitudinal purple band, this band very narrow near the scutellum, enlarged behind and covering the apical third



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19371 New 3uprestid. Beetles 39
of the elytra; apex black; the last two segments of the abdomen blackish.
Head moderately large, with a feeble tranverse depression between the eyes ; occiput finely striate, finely and sparsely punctate; the part of the front between the eyes wider than long, its sides converging toward the vertex; epistoma not distinctly separated from the front, slightly emarginate. Antenna1 cavities wide, triangular, with a little oblique carina above. Antennae reaching- nearly to the middle of the length of the pronotum, serrate from the fourth joint, the first joint rather long, the second subglobular, the third nearly twice and a half as long as the second and equal to the fourth.
Fronoturn widest at base, nearly once and a fifth as broad at base as at apex, and once and a half as wide as long; the anterior margin nearly transversely truncate, with a swollen margin, latter feebly obliterated at middle ; the sides feebly arcuate, sinuate before the posterior angles, which are acute; the marginal carina arcuate, interrupted at the anterior quarter ; the prothoracic episterna nearly smooth ; the base widely and somewhat deeply bidnuate. Disk feebly and sparsely punctate, more strongly and rugosely at the sides; on each side of the median line, not far from the base, a very deep impression the bottom of which is crossed by an oblique stria inclined outward and forward at an angle of 450a Scutellum small, transverse, nearly cordifom. Elytra once and a fifth wider than pronotum, long, sinuate at sides from shoulders to middle, and arcuately attenuate from middle to apex; strongly tridentate at tips, the poi+ terior half strongly serrate; surface punetato-striate, the striae stronger on the sides, the intervals flat, equal, and obsoletely punctate. Punctures of the striae of the sidea anteriorly transverse and forming some wrinkles. Anterior margin of the prosternum slightly emarginate, finely margined; prosternal process smooth, with swollen margin. Beneath, aciculately punctate, the last abdominal segment tridentate at apex, with a little denticle on each side. (The rfd- in the genus Nosotrinchws generally have the last abdominal segment emarg-inate between two spines, among the Q 9 it is bi-emarginate, with three spines.) Tarsi half as long as the tibise; claws short and rather strong.



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40 Psyche [March- June
A single specimen of this new species (type, M. C. 2. no. 22,510) was captured at Malaita, Auki, Solomon Islands, by Dr. W. M. Mann.
This species is very like N. coeruleipennis Fairm.l from the Fiji Islands, but is specifically distinct by the following characters.
1. The front without a depression.
2. The depressions of the base of the pronotum. 3. Sides of the pronotum sinuate before the anterior angles. 4. The color is different. N. coeruleipennis Fairm. has the head, the pronotum, and the lower surface, except the last segment at apex, cupreous, the elytra purplish with apex blackish.
Genus Melobasis C. & G.
Melobusis albertisi Th6ry
I described this species in the Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova, LI. (1923), p. 7, from four Q 9 specimens captured at Kataw, N. Guinea, by M. d9Albertis. A specimen of this species in the Museum of Comparative Zoology (Harvard College Collection), captured at Humboldt Bay by Dr. Thomas Barbour, is a *; it differs from the ? type in its slender form, the frontal punctures very close and confluent, the pubescence thicker on the occiput, the posterior angles of the pronotum less divergent, the intervals between the elytral striae slightly convex, the anterior femora dull, the abdomen less pubescent and with green reflections, and the last abdominal segment longitudinally wrinkled. Perhaps this form is a new variety.
Subgenus Diceropygus H, Deyr.
Diceropygus stevensi n. sp. (PI. IV, Fig. 8) Length : 15 mm. ; breadth : 5 mm.- Q . A,eneous, the punc- tures green and shining; tarsi bluish, claws steel blue and more shining; labrum green. Elongate, distinctly more at- tenuate posteriorly than in front. Elytra as wide at the shoulders as at the posterior third of their length. lNosotrinchus sirnondsi Obb., Sbornik II., 1924, p. 13, is a synonym of N. coeru,leipennis Fairm.




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New Buprestid Beetles
Head narrower than the anterior margin of the pronotum, very feebly convex in front, flat on the vertex, finely, densely, and irregularly punctate; front with a narrow, smooth, longitudinal carina reaching nearly to the epistoma; latter emarginate, not distinctly separate from the front. Anterior margins of the eyes converging posteriorly. The space sepa- rating the eyes, on the vertex, equal in width to the width of the eyes. Antennae not reaching the base of the pronotum, serrate from the fourth joint, the first joint elongate, the second twice as long as wide, the third as long as the second and slightly longer than the fourth.
Pronotum widest at base, a little more than once and a half as wide at base as at apex, and once and two thirds as wide as long; the anterior margin rather broadly and deeply bisinuate, finely margined; the sides straight and nearly parallel at base, then rounded and feebly convergent in front, each margined laterally by a regularly arcuate, sharp carina, slightly bent in front and reaching the anterior margin a little below the anterior angle; the posterior angles acute and slightly divergent ; the base feebly bisinuate ; the surface regularly convex, feebly flattened in the middle, punctate, the punctures green, slightly oval, larger, denser, and more oval on the sides than in the middle, and with an irregular, impunctate, longitudinal space at middle, and with a little impressed fovea in front of the scutellum. Scutellum wide (0.8 by 0.5 mm.), rounded laterally and posteriorly and truncate in front, smooth, shining, some- times reddish.
Elytra as wide as pronotum at base, subtruncate at the shoulders, widest at the shoulders, nearly parallel to apical third, then straight and attenuate to the tips, which are separately rounded and acutely serrate, the denticles be- coming very small at apex. Sutural edge margined in api- cal third of its length. Surface with nine striae, the bottom of each with a line of very transverse punctures, the intervals between the striae very convex, the third and fourth striae feebly divergent at the base, leaving a coarsely punctured space, the fifth abutting a mass of shining punctures; the intervals becoming obsolete at base, except the fifth, which is prolonged in front.
Prothoracic episterna finely and regularly punctate,



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42 Psyche [March- June
pubescent; prosternal process flat, acute at apex, finely and regularly punctate, clothed with long, very sparse greyish hairs ; the last abdominal segment with four strong spines at end, the lateral not so strong as the median, which are very long, acute, and limit a small semicircular emaxgination. Tarsi rather hg, the first two joints narrow, the two fol- lowing expanded, claws rather long and thickened at the base. Three specimens of this new species, all of which are females (type, M. C. Z. no. 22,611), were captured at Mt. Misim, Morobe District, New Guinea, by Mr. Herbert Ste- vens. A paratype stands in my own collection at the Mus4um National #Histoire Naturelle, Paris. I do not know any Dic-gus with which I may compare this; it is so much like Briseis cues Kerr. that it seems possible to confuse the two species. They can be distin- guished by the scutellum, which is twice as broad in Diceropygå´u stevensi as in Briseis cwrta Kerr., and by the lack of a lateral protuberance on the prosternal margin of Diceropygus stewmi. The latter will be placed next to Briseis cwrta; it appears that the characteristics given for the subgenus Briseis are without value.
Diceropygus brevicollis n. sp. (PI. IV, Fig. 10) Length: 12 mm.; breadth: 4 mm.-d. Bronzy green above, the elytra with three steel blue spots and with some slightly purplish reflections; lower surface brownish, with bluish and purplish tinges. Legs brownish, the femora green anteriorly, tarsi and antennae greenish blue ; prosternal process and middle of the metastemum green. Elongate, distinctly more attenuate posteriorly than in front. Head slightly convex on the vertex, nearly flat in front, very finely and eonfluently punctate, clothed with rather long greyish pubescence. Eyes broad and regularly elliptic, their anterior edges slightly convergent toward the vertex; the interval between the eyes a fifth wider than the breadth of the eyes. Epistoma not distinctly separated from the front, very slightly emarginate. Antennae reaching the base of the prothorax below, aerrate from the fourth joint, all joints except the first nearly equal in length, the first joint yellow at base, apex of the last joints brownish; palpi brownish. Pronoturn short, widest at the middle, twice as wide as



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19371 New Buprestid Beetles 43
long, scarcely once and a fifth as wide at base as at the anterior margin. The anterior margim nearly straight in the middle, bordered by a stria; the anterior angles project- ing forward; the sides slightly converging from middle to the anterior angles, sinuate from middle to the posterior angles, which are slightly divergent. The aides margined in basal two thirds of their length by a smooth, straight carina. The base tranversely truncate. Surface sparsely and un- equally punctate, the punctures well separated on the middle, but becoming much denser and very confluent at the sides, which are clothed with long recumbent pubescence. Scutellum very wide, straight in front, nearly semicircular posteriorly, the disk with a few punctures in the middle, Elytra a little wider at the humeral angles than the pronoturn at the base; the shoulders slightly expanded and rounded; the sides nearly parallel from the shoulders to behind the middle, then feebly attenuate to the tips, which are separately narrowly rounded; the sides in the posterior marginal half very acutely serrate, the denticles closer apically but also strong laterally. Sutural margin bordered by a sharp carina in the apical half of its length. Surface unequal, with a narrow and deep depression between the base and the humerus, striate-punctate, the strise obsolete, the punctures well marked but irregular, becoming stronger toward the sides. The intervals slightly and irregularly convex, becoming quite obsolete at base. The steel blue spots arranged thus: the first on the first third, not reaching the base; the second behind the middle, reaching the suture and the lateral margin ; the third covering the apex; these spots rather indistinct, as in Diceropygus mno~datws H. Deyr. Prothoracic episterna very finely and regularly punctate, clothed with recumbent pubescence. Prosternal process very wide, trifid at apex, finely and regularly punctate, flat, shining. Abdomen pubescent toward the sides; the abdomi- nal segments finely longitudinally strigose ; the last segment much more strigose, ernarginate at apex between two long and acute spines which are prolonged on the disk of the segment, forming little earinae; the ernaxghation with a little stria parallel to the edge. Posterior tibiae rather long ; posterior tarsi rather short and distinctly enlarged at apex. A single specimen of this new species (type, M. C. Z.



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44 Psyche [March- June
no. 22,512) was captured at Nadamvatu, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, by Dr. W. M. Mann. This species is colored like D. maculatus H. Deyr., but differs from all previously known Diceropygus in the very short pronotum.
Diceropygus variegatus n. sp. (PI. IV, Fig. 5) Length : 9.75 mm. ; breadth : 3.6 mm.- ( ?$ ) . Elongate, distinctly more attenuate posteriorly than in front; elytra slightly widened at the posterior third; color purple above, with the suture, a narrow band reaching from the humeral depression to the anterior fifth, and another submarginal one at the middle of the elytra, green. Beneath purplish black ; tarsi cyaneous.
Head less wide than the anterior margin of the pronotum, nearly flat in front, very densely and strongly punctured. Epistoma slightly emarginate, not distinct from the front; eyes large; antennae rather long, the base of the first joint yellow.
Pronotum widest at the middle, nearly twice as wide as long, and a little less than once and a fourth as wide at base as the anterior margin. Anterior margin strongly bisinuate, margined; the sides feebly rounded, sinuate in front of the posterior angles, which are acute and slightly divergent. The base slightly bisinuate, without distinct median lobe. The sides bordered by a smooth, curved carina, reaching from the base to the anterior angles, which are rounded, the posterior angles acute and feebly divergent. Disk regularly convex, slightly flattened at middle, with a little depression in front of the scutellum, strongly and sparsely punctured, the punctures more sparse at middle.
Scutellum wide, twice as wide as long, rounded posteriorly, truncate in front, very finely strigose. Elytra a little wider at the shoulders than pronotum at base, widest at apical third ; the sides straight and diverging from the shoulders to apical third, then arcuately attenuate to tips, the sides very strongly and sharply serrate from the middle to apex, where the serration is less strong. Disk with a close punctuation disposed in longitudinal series, without distinct striae; the intervals scarcely convex, the ground microscopically sculptured.
Anterior margin of the prosternum nearly tranversely



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19371 New Buprestid Beetles 45
truncate, slightly swollen ; the prosternal process rather con- vex, very sparsely and rather strongly punctate, margined at the sides and very acutely narrowed at the apex. Abdomen covered with sparse aciculate punctuation ; the last abdomi- nal segment broadly emarginate apically, between two long spines. Posterior legs long, the tarsi more than half as long as the tibiae; first joint of the posterior tarsi as long as the second, the fourth joint very short. A single specimen of this new species (type, M. C. Z. no. 22,513) was found, in good condition, in the stomach of a bird, Poecilodryus albonotata Hart., at Mt. Misim, Morobe District, New Guinea, by Mr. Herbert Stevens. Genus Sambus H. Deyr.
Sambus manni n. sp. (PI. IV, Fig. 6)
Length: 3.9 mm. ; breadth: 1.7 mm.- 9. Small, short, subparallel at middle; aeneous above, with purplish reflec- tions. The front and the two first joints of the antennae reddish purple; beneath, black, with the legs more or less blackish seneous. Entirely clothed above with regular, whitish pubescence which does not conceal the ground ; two lateral elytral impressions, and the scutellum, glabrous. Head very convex in front, deeply grooved, the groove becoming less distinct on the front and quite obsolete be- hind the middle; finely punctate and clothed with silvery pubescence. The portion of the front between the eyes rectangular and slightly longer than wide ; epistoma sepa- rated from the front by a carina, emarginate in front, de- pressed in the middle. Eyes very convex, elliptic, more than twice as long as wide. Antenna? black, serrate from the fifth joint, short, reaching the middle of the pronotum. Pronoturn nearly twice as wide as long, distinctly nar- rower in front than behind; anterior margin bisinuate, with the median lobe feebly prominent and broadly rounded; the sides flattened and nearly regularly arcuate, with the lateral margins finely crenulate, particularly behind the middle ; base strongly bisinuate with median lobe broadly rounded in front of the scutellum ; lateral carinae entire, slightly sinuate ; posterior angles entirely rounded, angular carinae very arcu- ate, reaching from the posterior angles to the apical fourth;



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46 Psyche [March-June
disk convex anteriorly, broadly concave posteriorly, with a rather deep longitudinal depression inside of the angular carina on each side, reaching from the base to the middle of the length. Surface rather strongly punctate, sparsely clothed with long, white, semi-recumbent pubescence. ScuteIIum subtriangular, without transverse carina. Elytra nearly as wide at the shoulders as the middle of the pronoturn, rather convex; sides arcuately constricted from the shoulders to basal third, expanded at posterior third, then arcuately attenuate to tips, which are separately rounded ; the sutural angles rounded, without denticle; the aides of the elytra finely serrate at the shoulders and along the posterior third; surface finely granulate; each elytron with a shallow depression reaching from the base to the suture at basal fourth and another along the lateral margin behind the humerus.
Chin piece straight in front, bordered by a little swelling, separated from the prosternum by a very deep and narrow groove. Prosternum convex, granulate. Inner posterior angles of the posterior corn rounded. Abdomen finely punc- tate and regularly clothed with sparse, white, recumbent pubescence. Disk of the last segment separated from the pleural margin by a deep and narrow groove; this groove curved inward onto the disk on each side, curving away from the basal angles of the segment. Larnellsa of the tarsi yellow. A single specimen of this new species (type, M. C. Z. no. 22,514) was captured at Marova L., Fiji Islands, by Dr. W. M. Mann.
Sambua darlingtoni n. sp. (PI. IV, Fig 7) Length: 4.3 mm.; breadth 1.9 mm.-^. Small, short, very feebly narrowed from the shoulders to the middle. Blackish seneous above; elytra pubescent, marked with de- signs forming transverse bands and spots of white pu- bescence mixed with yellow hairs. Head and antennge green. Beneath, blackish, clothed with short, greyish, recumbent pubescence.
Head convex, more convex and bituberculate at the summit of the front, deeply grooved, the groove reaching nearly to the epistoma; slightly rugose and distinctly punctate, with white, sparse, rather long pubescence forming a rosette; the



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19371 New Buprestid Beetles 47
portion of the front between the eyes longer than wide, feebly constricted at middle, and distinctly expanded before the epistoma, from which it is separated by an entire carina. Epistoma a little wider than long, emarginate in front. Eyes prominent, more than twice as long as wide. Antennae very short, serrate from the fifth joint, reaching the middle of the pronotum.
Pronotum more than twice as wide as long, distinctly nar- rower in front than behind; anterior margin bisinuate, with the anterior angles prominent, the median lobe slightly prominent and broadly rounded ; the sides expanded and very regularly arcuate, with the lateral margins feebly crenulate ; base strongly bisinuate, with the median lobe rounded in front of the scutellum; lateral carinae entire, feebly sinuate when viewed from side; posterior angles entirely rounded; angular carinse very arcuate, reaching from the posterior angles to the apical fifth, where they are abruptly terminated. Disk convex anteriorly, broadly concave posteriorly, with a rather deep depression on each side, reaching from the pos- terior margin to near the anterior angles. Surface distinctly and regularly punctate, semicircularly and finely striate, sparsely clothed with white, semi-recumbent hairs. Scutellum wide, subtriangular, finely transversely strigose, with a very distinct transverse carina.
Elytra a little wider at the shoulders than at the middle, slightly wider at the shoulders than behind the middle (a little wider behind the middle than at the shoulders in the female), rather convex; the sides slightly, arcuately con- stricted from the shoulders to posterior third, arcuately at- tenuate apically, tips nearly conjointly rounded, but with sutural angles rounded, without denticles; the sides of the elytra very finely, almost indistinctly serrate behind the shoulders and in the posterior third. Surface finely imbri- cate, indistinctly punctate, each elytron with a shallow de- pression at the base and another behind the shoulders along the lateral margin. Disk of the elytra clothed with a very fine, semi-recumbent pubescence ; this pubescence blackish and inconspicuous on the ground between the designs of silvery and yellow (mixed) hairs, which are disposed as follows : the basal quarter except the humeri nearly covered with inter- mixed silvery and yellow hairs; a lateral spot at the middle



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48 Psyche [March- June
of the lateral margin, united with a discal one at the anterior third; a juxta-sutural spot behind the middle; and two transverse, very sinuous, ante-apical bands? which are more or less confused.
Chin piece indistinctly emarginate in front, finely mar- gined, separated from the prosternum by a deep, narrow groove. Prosternum convex, granulate, clothed with sparse hairs ; the prosternal process rather wide ; internal posterior angle of the posterior coxa acute. Abdomen finely punctate and clothed with sparse, whitish, recumbent pubescence. Disk of the last segment clothed with long recumbent hairs, emarginate at apex? separated from the pleural margin by a deep narrow groove, which is curved onto the disk on each side, the curve tending away from the basal angles. A * specimen of this species (type, M. C. Z. no. 22,515) was captured at Yandina, Russell Islands, by Dr. W. M. Mann; a Q specimen was captured at Marowa L., Fiji Islands, by Dr. Mann, and is now in my own collection. The 9 differs from the * by having the front reddish. Genus Agrilus Steph.
Agrilus mannianus n. sp. (Pl. IV, Fig. 11) Length : 6.6 mm. ; breadth : 2 mm.-*. Elongate, rather broad, subopaque, feebly convex above; cupreous, with a purplish tinge, the front and the antennz smaragdinous green, the anterior and median femora with a greenish tinge, each elytron ornamented with a poorly defined longitudinal pubescent vitta along the posterior quarter of the suture, this vitta narrowed posteriorly and not reaching the apex. The whole surface clothed with a fine, greyish, recumbent pubescence. Beneath, cupreous, clothed with a very short, regular, greyish, recumbent pubescence, not concealing the ground.
Head with the front rather wide, very feebly convex, vaguely wider basally than anteriorly, with lateral margins feebly sinuate; the vertex and front finely furrowed, the furrow reaching the epistoma but nearly obsolete in front. The color of the vertex sharply defined from that of the front. The front transversely impressed anteriorly, with a little pore at each side, separated from the epistoma by a



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19371 New Buprestid Beetles 49
narrow carina; the surface regularly punctured, more or less rugose, the intewah between the punctures convex. Surface covered with a sparse but di~tinct whitish pu- bescence. Vertex finely punctate, the punctures becoming more lon~tudinal near the front. Eyes large, subelliptic; the temples clothed with silvery, rather long, dense pu- bescence. Antenm extending nearly to base. of pronoturn, serrate from the fourth joint, the second and third joints subequal, longer than the fourth.
Pronoturn widest near the anterior margin ; obliquely widened, with sides straight, from base to the anterior third? then feebly, arcuately narrowed to the anterior angles. The anterior margin slightly bisinuate, bordered by a stria in- terrupted at middle# with the median lobe feebly produced. The posterior angles feebly expanded and distinctly obtuse; when viewed from the side? the marginal caxina is nearly straight? feebly sinuate, to the anterior angleg; the lower cwina is connected at base with the lateral carina, and the two are nearly pralle1 on the anterior balf of the pronoturn. The angular carhula extends from near the posterior angle to near the middle of the lateral carha, but does not reach the angle or the lateral margin. Base trisinuate, the median lobe feebly produced and brmdly, arcuately marginate in front of the scutel~um. Disk broadly txan~vemely depressed in front and near the base, with a mboval longitudinal de- ,
pression in front of the scu~l1um; surfaw very feebly pubescent, finely and subtranswr& rugose, with the inter- vals between punctures slightIy convex.
Scutellum wj de, transverse1 y carinate. Elytra somewhat wider at the shoulders than the prono- turn at the base, nearly equal in width at base and behd the middle, then obliquely and mcuateIy narrowed to the apices, which are separately and rather narrow1y rounded and very finely serxu1at.e. Disk slightly flattened, without costa?, feebly depressed poste~oxly along the mture. Suture mod-
erately elevated posteriorly. The base of each elytron with a broad, deep depression between the humexw and the basal margin, which is distinctly carhate,
Surface finely imbri-
cate*
Abdomen wider thah elytra, narrowly exposed at sides. Chin piece slightly emarginate at middle; prosternum



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50 Psyche [March-June
rugose ; prosternal process wide, depressed at middle, rounded at apex. Abdomen very finely punctate; disk of the last segment arcuately emarginate at apex? the pleural mar- gin feebly emarginate at middle, separated from the disk of the segment by a deep, narrow, entire groove; the apex bordered by some long erect hairs. The suture between the first two segments not distinct. Tibi~ slender, the anterior nearly straight; tarsi elongate.
Seventeen specimens of this new species (type, M. C. Z. no. 22,516) were captured at Yandina, Russell Islands, by Dr. W. M. Mann; paratypes of this species are in my own col- lection and in that of the British Museum. Agrilus levuensis n. sp. (Pl. IV, Fig. 12) Length : 11 mm. ; breadth : 3 mm.- 9 . Shining bluish black with a violaceous tinge above, of the same color below ; elongate, rather robust; elytra sinuate laterally from the shoulders to behind the middle, then sinuously narrowed to the tips, which are separated, each ending in a strong spine. Elytra with a wide sulcus along the suture, the surface finely and irregularly punctate and clothed with short, greyish, recumbent pubescence which is scarcely distinguishable. The front with a large white spot.
Abdominal segments
with, on each side, little depressions not reaching the margin, and clothed at bottom with recumbent white pubescence. Head rather wide, with the front strongly concave be- tween the eyes, the excavation carinate at the sides along the eyes, finely grooved at middle; the sides of the front, between the eyes? are at first parallel, then abruptly con- vergent toward the epistoma; the surface covered with transverse and slightly oblique wrinkles. Eyes elliptic, large, reaching the anterior margin. Antennze extending nearly to the middle of the pronotum, serrate from the fourth joint, the second joint wider than, and once and a half as long as, the third.
Pronotum trapezoidal, scarcely once and three quarters as wide as long, widest at the base ; the anterior margin scarcely bisinuate ; the sides straight? a little angulose at middle ; the base deeply bisinuate, with the median lobe truncate in front of the scutellum. The posterior angles obtusely angulate ; the marginal carina feebly sinuate; the lower carina obso-



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19371 New Buprestid Beetles 51
letely indicated, interrupted at middle, and forming a smooth swollen area anteriorly; the angular carina sharply defined, extending arcuately from the posterior angles to the lateral carina at middle. Surface with a wide longitudinal sulcus, narrowed in front, the bottom of this sulcus with some little wrinkles; the sides of the pronotum each with a wide, oblique, strong depression at the middle of the margin and reaching the anterior angle? the bottoms of these depressions also with some wrinkles, the rest of the surface with some coarse punctures on a nearly smooth ground. Scutellum large, cordiform, the anterior margin straight, the apex strongly acuminate.
Elytra scarcely wider at the base than the pronotum, nearly twice and three fifths as long as wide, slightly sinuate behind the shoulders, then narrowed and nearly straight, and again slightly sinuate laterally before the apex, where each is produced in a strong spine; the sutural angles slightly spinose; the sides without any serration. Disk very finely sculptured, the punctures triangular and rather sparse ; a strong sulcus along the suture, widened on anterior third, attenuate near apex, and very rugose at bottom. Chin piece of the prosternum straight at middle, short. Prosternal process wide, rounded at apex, shining, smooth, and sparsely punctate. Last abdominal segment separated from the pleural margin by a groove; the pleural margin finely striate; surface of the last segment with a series of spiniform granulations intermixed with rigid, black, erect hairs. Abdomen slightly punctate? shining. First joint of the posterior tarsi as long as the second. Described from a single specimen (type, M. C. Z. no. 2&517) collected at Nadarivatu, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, by Dr. W. M. Mann.
This species will be placed next to Agdus taveuniensis mihi (Ann. SOC. Ent. Belg. 1934, p. 145). It is distinguishable by its violaceous black color, its smooth prosternal process, the first joint of the posterior tarsi not longer than the second, etc.
Agrilus fidjiensis Obb. (Arch. f. Nat. 1924, p. 119) After a careful examination of the description of this species, it appears to me that it agrees with that of A. fissi- from Fairm. from the Fiji Islands. A. fidjiensis is a syno-



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52 Psyche [March- June
nym of A. jbsif~ons Fairm., and the name t~etrastictus Obb. (1. c.) must apply to a variety of A. fissijrom Fairm., the type of which hag each elytron marked with a single spot. Fairmaire's species is represented in my own collection by a paratype.
Genus Trachys 5'.
Trachys darlingtoni n. sp. (Pl. IV, Fig. 9) Length: 2.5 mm.; breadth: 1.6 mm. Oval, rounded in front, attenuate posteriorly, broadest at the shoulders, rather flattened above, with the scutellar region slightly convex and glabrous; the rest of the surface ornamented with designs of whitish pubescence forming two ante-apical, very sinuous fasciz which join in several places, and a trans- verse, very irregular, inconspicuous band in the middle; the space between the designs clothed with yellow, sparse, semi- erect pubescence. Above, of a bright brassy color ; beneath, dark bronze; the four first joints of the tarsi, and the palpi, yellow; the last joint of the tarsi, and the antennz, black. The scutellar region appears to be normally glabrous (it is so in the four specimens examined).
Head very wide, shining, obsoletely punctate, with the front and vertex furrowed, the furrow reaching a wide, well marked impression above the epistoma ; the latter rugose, distinguishable from the front only by the sculpture, emar- ginate in front. Eyes small, regularly elliptic, very oblique, and not prominent. Antennz very short, serrate from the seventh joint, with a few long, rigid hairs. Pronotum widest at the base, short; anterior margin emarginate, with a median, feebly projecting lobe; the anterior angles acute and feebly projecting, blunted at apex; sides moderately arcuate ; the posterior angles slightly obtuse. Base narrowly margined, with a feebly projecting median lobe which is broadly subtruncate in front of the scutellum. Disk regularly convex, impressed along the base, shining, indistinctly sculptured at middle, the sides marked with distinct circles.
Scutellum small, equilaterally triangular. Elytra widest at the shoulders, the humeri rather promi- nent, the sides arcuately attenuate from the base to the tips,



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19371 New Buprestid Beetles 53
which are conjointly and broadly rounded. Disk feebly
reticulate.
Plate of the prosternal process narrowed in front, obso- letely punctate, clothed with more or less erect hairs. All the abdominal segments separated from the pleural margin by an uninterrupted, narrow groove, the first segment with only a half groove. Last segment rounded at the apex, with the pleural margin very narrow. Claws bifid, the inner branch quite as long as the outer.
Four specimens of this species were captured at Coimba- tore, S. India, by Mr. P. S. Nathan, and received by the Museum of Comparative Zoology from the Nicolay Collec- tion. The type (no. 22,518) and a paratype are in the M. C. Z.; there is a paratype in my own collection at the Museum National d9Histoire Naturelle in Paris. Plate I11
Fig.
1. Paracupta evansi Thery, n. sp.
Fig. 2. Paracupta manni Thery, n. sp.
Fig.
3. Haplotrinchus manni Thery, n. sp.
Fig.
4. Nosotrinchus solomonensis Thhry, n. sp. Plate IV
Fig.
5. Diceropz/gus variegatus Thkry, n. sp. Fig. 6. Sambus manni Thery, n. sp.
Fig.
7. Sambus darlingtoni Thery, n. sp.
Fig.
8. Diceropygus stevensi Thkry, n. sp.
Fig.
9. Trachys darl-ingtoni Thery, n. sp.
Fig. 10. Diceropygus brevicollis Thery, n. sp. Fig. 11. Agrilus mannianus Thery, n. sp. Fig. 12. Agrilus levuensis Thhry, n. sp.



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64 Psyche !March-June
Psyche, 1937
VOL. 44, PLATE 111.
Thery - Buprestid Beetles




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19371 New Buprestid Beetles 55
Psyche, 1937
VOL. 44, PLATE IV.
Th6ry - Buprestid Beetles




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Volume 44 table of contents