This article was downloaded by: [McGill University Library]

On: 09 February 2015, At: 17:22

Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number:
1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer
Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Annals and Magazine of

Natural History: Series
11
Publication details, including
instructions for authors and
subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/
tnah17

LV.—Systematic notes
on Melolonthine beetles
belonging to Holotrichia
and related genera
a
Gilbert J. Arrow F.Z.S. F.R.E.S.
a
British Museum (Natural History)
Published online: 18 Aug 2009.

To cite this article: Gilbert J. Arrow F.Z.S. F.R.E.S. (1944) LV.—Systematic

notes on Melolonthine beetles belonging to Holotrichia and related
genera , Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Series 11, 11:82,
631-648, DOI: 10.1080/00222934408527462

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222934408527462

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of

all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications
on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our
licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as
 to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of
the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication
are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views
of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content
should not be relied upon and should be independently verified
with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not
be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands,
costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or
howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with,
in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction,

redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply,
or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.
Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://
www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
 THE
ANNALS AND MAGAZINE
OF
NATURAL HISTORY.
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

[ELEVENTH SERIES.]

No. 82. OCTOBEI~ 1944.

LV.--Systematic Notes on Melolo~thine B~etles belon.ging

to Holotriehia and related genera. By (}ILBE~T J.
ARROW, F.Z.S., F.R.E.S. British Museum (Natural
History).
THE genera Holotrichia and Lachnosterna, as catalogued
at present, must be regarded as geographical rather t h a n
morphological entities. Described by Hope in 1837, the
first for Oriental and the second for American species, t h e y
were united by Bu~meister and Lacordaire, who used for
them the name Ancylonycha, defined by .Blanchard in 1845.
Some recent writers have applied to the American forms
another name, Phyllophaga, introduced by Harris in 1827,
but undescribed and previously employed by Latreille
as a group name, upon the ground t h a t the requirements
o f the rules of zoological nomenclature t h a t a valid
generic name must have b e e n " published and accompanied
by an indication or a definition or a description " were
fulfilled b y H£rris's mention of several species of Melo-
lontha as belonging to his so-called subgenus Phyllophaga.
Opinion 1, appended to the International Code of Zoo-
logical Nomenclature, defines the word "' indication "
with regard to generic names as " (1) a bibliographic
reference, or (2) a definite citation of an earlier name for
which a new name is proposed: or (3) the citation or
designation of a t y p e species." In Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus.
1942, p. 164, Saylor has stated t h a t the name Ancylonycha,
which~ with man:~ similar names hitherto unreeognised
Ann. & M a g . N. Hist. Ser. 11. Vol. xi. 45
 632 Mr. Gilbert J. Arrow on Melolonthine Beetle6'

by the, catalogues in general use, was .printed in 1833 in

DejeaI~'s catalogue of his collection, was validated by his
inclusion of the names of described species.
The value of a name depends upon certainty as to t h e
form to which it is applied, and this is quite absent when
the name is unaccompanied b y a n y means of identifica-
tion. Many years ago, in pointing out t h a t Hope's de-
scribed genus Stethaspis, although a New Zealand species
had been named as its type, was intended for an Australian
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

insect, to which the name therefore belonged, I wrote

" Since a mistaken identification, such as t h a t of Hope,
must always be considered possible when the founder of a
genus has n o t had before him tlie t y p e of the species
upon which it is founded, a name is not entitled to re-
cognition so long as it is unaccompanied by a definition t o
afford evidence of its identity. For this purpose, of course,
description of the typical species or even a statement t h a t
the genus is based upon an actual type-specimen must b e
admitted as sufficient " (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (7) xi.
1903, p. 304). E v e r y experienced systematist knows the
frequency and, indeed, inevitability of mis-identification.
I t is quite possible for a name quoted as t h a t of a species
representing a new genus to prove, upon examination o f
the type, to belong to a different family. Saylor's view
t h a t the catalogue name Ancylonycha was validated by the
inclusion of the names of described species appears to be
a mistaken interpretation of Clause (3) of the 1st Opinion
appended to the International Code quoted above. This,
as Sir Guy Marshall has pointed out, does not accept the
mere inclusion of the names of described species as
sufficient b u t requires as a minimum t h a t the t y p e shall
be fixed. This minimum requirement was not fulfilled
either b y Harris or Dejean in the cases in question.
The Indian Melolontha serrata F. was named b y Hope as
t y p e of the genus Holotrichia and the North American
M. fervida F. as t h a t of Lachnosterna, b u t the characters
enumerated afford no means of distinguishing generically
the Old World from the New World species and I h a v e
found no sufficient reason for dividing them into two
genera. The name Holotrichia has page priority over
Lachnosterna.
I n attempting to define the limits between Holotrichia
and various other closely-related genera further difflcultie~
 belonging to Holotrichia and related genera. 633

arise. The genus Brahmina was separated by Blanchard

on account of its cleft (not toothed) claws and several
others have been introduced for species with more than
three lamellm in the antennal club, but neither of these
has proved capable of rigid application, particularly in
view of the fact t h a t both claws and club differ in certain
cases in the two sexes. The absence in Brahmina of a
continuous seta-bearing ridge upon the middle and hind
tibiae will perhaps suffice, in conjunction with its cleft
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

claws, to distinguish it.

The number of lamellm forming the club of the antenna
has been generally assumed to be constant for each genus,
but confidence in the assumption has declined as more
and more species have become known.
Hilyotrogus Fairm., in which also the claw~ are cleft,
was characterised as having five antennal lamellm, the
first two short, but H. longiclavi8 Bates, added sub-
sequently, has five long joints and one short one in tile
club of the male and Moser (Deutsche Ent. Zeits. 1913,
p. 276) has included in the genus various species with
from three to six lamellm, leaving no feature yet
described by which it can be distinguished from Brahmina.
The occurence of a tibial ridge is of assistance here.
Comparison of H. longiclavis Bates (club 6-jointed)
with Melichrus kolbei Brsk., the type of t h a t genus (club
7-jointed in the male, 5-jointed in the female), shows t h a t
Bates' insect could be equally well assigned to. either genus,
and I therefore consider l~Ielichrus synonymous with
Hilyotrogus.
The first-discovered and probably the most abundant
species of Hilyotrogus, H. holosericeus Redt., of which i
have examined the type, has been re-described several
times. I believe Holotrichia stridulans Sharp and Hilyo-
trogus rufoflavus Moser to be synonyms of it. A Formosan
species, described as Heptophylla formosana by Niijima
and Kinoshita, with seven lamell~e in the male, seems to
me, notwithstanding the very elongate 3rd antennal joint,
better referred to Hilyotrogus than to Heptophylla.
I have recently (1941, Ark. Zool. 33 A, no. 8, p. 7)
referred to the genus Megistophylla, the type-species o f
which has eight lamell~e in the male antenna, nine species
with from five to eight lamell~e. The description by
Fairmaire of his genus Hecat~nnus, of which the only
45*
 63*4 Mr. Gilbert J. Arrow on Melolonthine Beetles

species, H. grandicornis, Fairm. has five lamelke, leaves

no doubt, that it must now sink as a synonym of Megis-
tophylla. [ have already transferred Gymnogaster indica
Brsk. to that genus. A Formosan species called Gymno-
gaster ezakii by Niijima and Kinoshita is certainly un-
related to either of these genera. I t is possibly related
to Serica.
T h e Malayan genus Pentelia Brsk. appears to be
constant in its 5-jointed antennal club, which is also
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

peculiar for its extremely small size in both sexes. Five

species of the genus have been described and another is
added here. The interesting feature of a clothing of close-
lying silvery-white scales upon the hind coxm, which has
been described by Moser in Holotrichia borneensis, is
found again in Pentelia discedens Sharp, the type of the
genus, although it has not been previously mentioned. I t
is here described in another species of Holotrichia. The
close similarity in other respects also of these species of the
two genera cannot escape attention and seems to point
to a comparatively recent origin of Pentelia from the
borneensis group of Holotrichia.
Closely related to Hilyotrogus and Brahmina is Pseudo-
symmachia Dalla Torre, distinguished by having only
nine joints in the antenna (of which the 3rd, 4th and 5th
seem to be inseparably united). Moser has recorded
(I)euts. Ent. Zeits. 1915, p. 148) that P. chinensis Brsk.
is a synonym of Metabolus impress~'frons Fairm., but
Metabolus is a preoccupied name. Another synonym is
Rhizotrogus niponicus Lewis (Japan).
The genus Heptelia was created by Brenske for a
Bornean insect of which the male has seven antennal
lamellm and the female four. I am here adding a second
species with eight lamell~e in the male and five in the
female.
A genus Atys was established by Reiche in 1849 for the
Abyssinian A. samenensis Reiche, the type of which, with
antenna detached and separately mounted, is in the
British Museum. The name Atys was previously used both
for Molluscs and Crustacea and is not available. )mother
name, Genyoschiza, was introduced by Moser in 1917 for a a
East African .species, G. tarsalis Moser, which appears to
differ little from Atys samenensis and Genyoschiza m a y
provisionally replace Atys. Thirteen species h a v e been
 belonging to Holotriehia and related genera. 635

catalogued under the last name and Andreae (Stett. Ent.

Zeit. 1933, xeiv. p. 104) has added to them Schizonycha
corrosa Burm. All have been referred to the genus on
account of their 9-jointed antennae, but Pdringuey has
mentioned t h a t his Atys hypocrita has the normal ten
joints in the female. Brenske (Berl. Ent. Zeits. 1896,
p. 355) has stated that, the antennm of Reiche's genus
oonsisting of seven joints, those with nine are not con-
generic and should be regarded as forming a" subgenus of
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

Schizonycha. Joints 3 to 5 in Genyoschiza samenensis

are slender and apparently not separately movable but it
is doubtfully permissible to count them as a single one.
Brenske's solution of the difficulty is, however, probably
the best.
Holotrichia amboin~e Brsk. was regarded as forming
a subgenus of Holotrichia by Brenske, who gave it the name
Amphitrichia, but, in accordance with the uncertainty
usually attending subgeneric names, this appears as
t h a t of a genus in Dalla Torre's catalogue. The Papuan
region is almost outside the normal range of typical
species of Holotrichia and, as the species is a peculiar one,
least confusion will perhaps be caused by following the
catalogue in raising it to the rank of a genus.
Genus HOLOT~IOHIAHope
In the group of very closely related species represented
by H. mucida Gyll. and H. flssa Brsk. the claws must be
described sometimes as toothed and sometimes as cleft.
In the type of H. intermedia Brsk. they are unmistakably
of the cleft form, but in specimens from various localities in
Indo-China, of both sexes and taken by Vitalis at the
same time, both forms of claw occur, i believe H. inter-
media Brsk. to be a synonym of H. cochinchina Nonfr.
H. cochinchinte Brsk., a quite different insect, m a ) be
re-named H. moseri, n. n.
I described a Mayalan species in 1938 under the name
Holotrichia bilobata, but, as this name was given to an
Indian insect by Moser in 1913, the Malayan species m a y
be called H. bilobiceps, n. n.
Some confusion has been caused by the strong sexual
difference in Holotrichia bidentata Burm., said to have
been described from the male but really from the female,
which alone has a strongly bidentate clypeus. The true
 ~}36 Mr. Gilbert J. Arrow on Melolonthine Beetles

male is Lachnosterna convexa Sharp, which name is there-

fore a synonym. The very peculiar fine oblique striation of
the posterior part of the elytra in the female has escaped
notice. A variety with more densely punctured pronotum
and elytra occurs in Tenasserim.
The Philippine H. bipunctata Brsk. is attributed to
Java, as well as the Philippine Is., in Brenske's description,
but probably erroneously. The two marginal punctures
from which it was named are present only in one of the
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

eleven examples in the British Museum. They are there-

fore not of any systematic significance. The antennal
club of the male is twice as long as that of the female.
Brenske had evidently females only, as he says that both
sexes have a small oval club.
Holotrichia nilgiria, sp. n.
Reddish testaceous, shining, with the head darker, the
abdomen and femora bright yellow, the metasternum
and hind cox~e thickly clothed with tawny pubescence and
the head bearing rather long erect hairs.
Oval, moderately convex, the head rather coarsely
rugose, the clypeus small, rugosely punctured, straight in
front, rounded at the sides ; pronotum strongly punctured,
sparingly in the middle, more closely at the sides,
the lateral margins rounded in the middle, straight to
the obtuse front and hind angles, the scutelhim finely
punctured; elytra moderately closely punctured, with
strongly marked sutural and three narrow and imperfect
dorsal cost~e. Pygidium fairly strongly and closely
punctured. Abdomen smooth and shining, feebly punc-
tured. Antenn~el0-jointed. Fronttibi~esharplytridentate.
Claws with strong vertical tooth, except the outer claw of
£he hind foot, of which the tooth is feeble.
c~. Club of the antenna as long as the footstalk.
Length 13 ram.
SOUTH INDIA : Nilgiri Hills (H. L. Andrewes) ; Malabar.
This species is peculiar for the asymmetry of the claws
of the hind feet, the inner claw having a strong tooth and
the outer a feeble one in consequence of a thickening of its
basal part. Although I have seen only male specimen.%
this peculiarity is not confined to that sex, for it is found
also in H. inducta Walk., a Ceylon species of which the
type and two other examples in the British Museum are
 belangi.~g to Holotrichia and related genera. 637

females. H. nilgiria is of similar size and shape to H.

inducta b u t of a much lighter colour, with shining instead
of dull upper surface,. H. inducta being very closely
punctured above and its elytra pruinose. The front angles
o f its pronotum are acute, while those of H. nihiiria are
very obtuse.
Holotrichia coxalis, sp. n.
Deep mahogany-red, with the head, pronotum and
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

scutellum rather darker, the metasternum, except in the

middle, clothed with short tawny hair and the hind cox~e
with closely-set silvery-white scales.
Cylindrical, rather parallel-sided, shining, with the head
strongly punctured, the clypeus gently cmarginate and the
vertex sharply carinate; the pronotum bearing strong,
rather scattered punctures, the lateral margins strongly
rounded behind, straight and convergent in front, the front
angles acute, produced and a little hollowed, the hind angles
obsolete, the base a little impressed on each side and
rounded in the middle ; scutellum feebly punctured on
each side and longitudinally elevated in the middle;
elytra strongly but not densely punctured, each with a
sutural and four other very narrow costm. Pygidium
strongly and sparingly punctured. Metasternum finely
and closely punctured and abdomen finely and sparsely
in the middle and rather strongly and closely at the sides.
Antennae 10-jointed, the club extremely short in both
sexes. Hind tibial spurs sharp, the tarsal joints nearly
equal, the claws short with strong tooth.
Length 19-22 mm.
BORNEO, SARAWAK: Quop (G. E. Bryant, March);
junction of Tinjar and Lejok Rivers (B. M. Hobby and
A. W. Moore, Aug.-Oct.).
Three specimens of each sex, attracted to light.
Like H. borneensis Moser, this species has the peculiar
characteristic of rather densely crowded scales or set~e
arranged more or less longitudinally upon the hind toxin,
to which they give a silvery appearance. There are similar,
b u t less close and numerous, scales near the hind angles of
the metasternum. The species is no doubt closely related
to H. borneensis b u t has the front angles of the pronotum
produced and flattened, not obtuse, and, whereas Moser's
insect has the pronotum rather closely and the pygidium
 63S Mr. Gilbert J. Arrow on Melolonthine Beetles

rather sparsely punctured, in H. coxalis both are similarly

and sparingly punctured. The lateral margins of the pro-
notum are not distinctly crenate. The new species has
evidently a resemblance to H. desiderata Brsk., but that
has the sides of the sternum and coxae pilose.
Holotrichia kaligoensis, sp. n.
Reddish chestnut, not very shining, the lower surface
yellow, the sternum and hind cox~e closely clothed with
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

long tawny hair.

Cylindrical, elongate, with slender legs and tarsi, the
head not large, densely, coarsely and rugosely punctured,
the clypeus gently emarginate in the middle, the vertex
not carinate ; pronotum very coarsely and densely rugose,
completely margined, the lateral margins crenate, rounded
in the middle and nearly straight to the front and hind
arigles, which are obtuse ; scutellum densely punctured,
with a smooth median line; elytra strongly, not very
closely, punctured, with narrow, well elevated cost~e,
bearing a very few scattered punctures. Pygidium finely
and not closely punctured. Abdomen very smooth, scarcely
punctured, except upon the last two sternites. Antennae
10-jointed. Basal joint of the hind tarsus a little
shorter than the second, the claws with a strong back-
wardly-directed tooth.
Length 27 ram.
JAVA : Kaligoen (F. C. Drescher, Feb.).
A single female example.
This is closely related to H. javana Brsk., from which
it differs in being larger, a little more elongate and a little
darker in colour, with the pronotum very closely and
deeply rugose instead of irregularly punctured. The
elytra are rather longer than those of H. javana, strongly
but similarly punctured.
Holotrichia vernicata, sp. n.
Light brown above and beneath, with the head, prono-
turn and scutellum blackish brown, the breast rather
thickly clothed with soft t a w n y hair.
Cylindrical, moderately elongate, shining, with t h e
clypeus closely punctured, its front margin rather deeply
notched in the middle and rounded on each side, the fore-
head densely and rugosely punctured and the vertex
 belonging to Holotrichia and related genera. 639

without carina; pronotum entirely margined, coarsely

and rugosely punctured, with a narrow smooth median
fine, the lateral margins gently rounded, deeply and rather
bluntly serrate, the front angles produced, the' hind
angles very blunt ; scutellum coarsely punctured, with the
sides and apex smooth ; elytra rather finely punctured,
with a well-marked sutural but scarcely visible dorsal
cost~e. Pygidium bearing rather numerous fine punctures.
Abdomen finely and sparsely punctured and very smooth
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

in the middle, more closely at the sides, where it is setose.

Antennm 10-jointed. Legs slender, the hind tarsi with
nearly equal joints. Claws with a very strong tooth.
~. Antennal club short ; hind legs very slender.
Length 21 mm.
JAVA: Preanger, 3,000-4,000 ft. (F. ('. Dr~.~(:h~r.
March).
This species is probably related to the Bornean H.
serrulata Brsk., but it is without a carina upon the vertex
of the head. i t will be recognised by tim produced fron~
angles of the thorax, the very strong serration of i~s
iat~rai margins and coarsely pitted, partly rugose, upper
surface, divided b y a. narrow smooth median line, and
the elytra devoid of distinct costee except at the sutural
margin.

Genus B~An~I~A Bl.

Moser (Deuts. Ent. ZeSts. 1913, p. 272) has transferred
to the genus Microtrichia Brsk. about half of the species
included b y Dalla Torre, in the Junk-Schenkling Cata-
logue of Melolonthinm (1912), in Brahmina B1. Those still
remaining under the latter name form a heterogeneous
assemblage, which will no doubt be found capable of
further subdivision.

Brahmina nastdala, sp. n.

Pale testaceous ydlow, with t h e head and legs a little
deeper in colour, the breast, together with the coxee and
the base of the prothorax densely clothed with m o d e r a ~ l y
long and very pale hair and tlle elytra 1)earing muncrous
minute inconspicuous pale setoe.
Convex, elongate and shining, the head strongly and
closely punctured, the clypeal margin well rounded at the
 640 Mr. Gilbert J. Arrow on Melolo~thine Beetles
sides, nearly straight in front but elevated in the middle
to form a small sharp prominence; pronotum very
shining in the middle, where it is rather sparsely punctured,
the punctures becoming close at the sides, the lateral
margins angular in the middle and almost straight from
there to the well-marked front and hind angles, of which
the former are obtuse and the latter almost rectangular;
scutellum bearing very few punctures; el.ytra bearing
fairly well-marked narrow longitudinal costm and these, as
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

well as the intervals, rather closely punctured. Pygidium

slightly elongate, feebly punctured and smooth and the
abdomen beneath also smooth except at the sides. Front
tibiee sharply tridentate.
~. Clypeus rather long, the front margin strongly
reflexed. Tarsi very long and slender, the hind pair
bearing a thick fringe of short hairs beneath. Antennal
club moderately long.
Length 14-17 mm.
TrBET: Gyangtse, 13,000 ft., Tengkya, 14,500 ft.,
Shekhar, 14,500 ft., Kyishong, 14,500 ft., Ling-Ka,
14,000 ft., Chung-Chang.
The small but peculiar feature of a sharp point in the
middle of the upturned front margin of the clypeus will
enable this species to be recognised without difficulty.
Although occasionally indistinct and perhaps liable to
abrasion, it is generally very easily seen. With the ex-
ception of the head, the surface of the body is shining
above and beneath, the setm upon the upper surface being
so fine, and upon the pronotum so scanty, as to be almost
invisible unless magnified. The very pale hair beneath
the body and forming a fringe projecting from under
the base of the pronotum, although not very long, is
very soft and dense.
Considerable numbers of spesimens of the species were
found by Major Itingston and other entomologists accom-
panying expeditions to Mount Everest.
B r a h m i n a tibef~na., sp. n.
Dark red, moderately shining above, the breast and
hind 'cox~e, as well as the hind margin of the pronotum,
thickly clothed with palehair and the abdomen with fairly
close but very short hair. The upper surface bears rather
short and scanty set~e.
 belo,~jiny to Holotrichia a'~wl related genera. 641
Moderately elongate, rather narrow in front and broader
behind, the head closely punctured, the clypeus broad,
its front margin nearly straight, sometimes very feebly
produced upwards in the middle; pronotum strongly
punctured, the lateral margins sharply serrate, contracted
and nearly straight in front and behind, with the angles
obtuse, the base rounded; the scutellum bearing a few
punctures; elytra showing rather ill-defined narrow
cost~e, which, as well as the intervals, bear fine setigerous
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

punctures ; pygidium finely punctured.

~. Clypeus rather long, the front margin strongly
raised. Antennal club not very long. Front tibim feebly
bidentate. Hind legs very slender, the tarsi not closely
fringed beneath.
9. Clypeus shorter, the front margin less elevated.
Front tibia tridentate.
Length 13-15 mm.
TIBET: Tingri, Jikkyop, 14,500ft. (R. IV. O. Hingsto~,
July), Gyangtse, 13,000 ft. (H. J. Walton, June).
Although conspicuously different in many important
features, this species is closely related to B. ,nxts~data. It is
rather smaller and much darker coloured. The clypeus is of
similar shape, with nearly straight front margin, well
elevated in the male, and a median tooth is usually feebly
indicated in that sex. The abdomen, including the
pygidium, is well punctured and clothed with short hair,
and the clothing of the upper surface, although sparse,
is more apparent than in the allied species. The pronotum
is strongly punctured and sharply serrated at the sides.
I n the male the front tibia bears only a single very feeble
lateral tooth, the legs are slender but a little shorter than
those of B. na,s~d~r,ta and the hind tarsi are not t])ickly
fringed.
Genus PENTELm Brsk.
Three species of this Malayan genus were catalogued by
Dalla Torre, two were added by Moser in 1912 and another
is to be found in the British Museum collection. All have
a very small antennal club, consisting of two short and
three longer lamell~e. The catalogue include~ Amboina as a
locality for the Sumatran P. discedews Shp. This locality
was given by Brenske in 1894, but in 1900 (Mem. Soc.
Ent. Belg. vol. vii. p. 150) he declared the species to be
 642 Mr. (;ilbert J. Arrow on :~Ie=lolonthine Beetles

confined to Sumatra. It has also been taken in Selangor,

Federated Malay States, by H. C. Abraham and C. Boden
Kloss, and occurs in Java:
The six species may be distinguished as follows, the
distinctive features of P. crinifrons and malaccensis,
which are unknown to me, being taken from Moser's.
descriptions : - -
1 (2). M e t a s t e r n u m clothed with scales, disve,dens Sharp.
2 (1). M e t a s t e r n u m clothed with hair.
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

3 (10). H e a d bearing long stiff hairs.

4 (5). P r o n o t u m a n d elytra bearing long
sparse hairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . orinita Brsk.
5 (4). P r o n o t u m a n d elytra w i t h o u t hairs.
6 (9). U p p e r surface shinlug.
7 (8). Clypeus separately p u n c t u r e d . . . . m a / a e c v n ~ Moser.
8 (7). Clypeus rugosely p u n c t u r e d crini]rons Moser.
9 (6). U p p e r surface n o t sblnlng . . . . . . densa, sp. n.
10 (3). H e a d w i t h o u t long hairs . . . . . . . . . kinabaluensi8 Brsk.

Pentelia densa, sp. n.

Pitchy black, the metasternum clothed with moderately
long and close tawny hair.
Cylindrical, rather long and narrow, very closely
punctured above and not shining, with the head rugose,
the clypeus short, feebly excised in the middle and strongly
rounded on each side, the forehead bearing a fringe of
stiff erect hairs ; the pronotum finely and densely punc-
tured, with its lateral margins crenulate, strongly angulate
behind the middle and straight to the front and hind
angles, of which the former are very obtuse and the latter
almost obsolete, the base margined only near the hind
angles ; the scutellum densely punctured, except in the
middle of the base, with a sharp median carina; elytra
strongly, closely and evenly punctured, including the
sutural costa, but with a narrow smooth sublateral costa.
Pygidium strongly and irregularly punctured and abdomen
beneath naked, except for a few hairs upon the first and
tile last two sternites.
Length 24 mm.
NORTH BORNEO : Mr. Kinabalu, Lumu Lumu, 5,500 ft.
(H. M. Pe~dlebury, April).
I have seen only a single female specimen of the species,
which agrees in its smooth hairless pronotum.and elytra,
the latter bearing only a broad sutural and narrow juxta=
lateral costa, with P. Z-inabaluensis Brsk., which inhabits
 belongir~t to Holotrichis and related genera. 643

the same region. I t is much more elongate and the punc-

tures of the upper surface are much finer and closer,
those of the pronotum so dense as to render its surface
entirely dull. The forehead bears a fringe ofstifferect hairs.

Genus HOLOMELIA Brsk.

This genus was established in 1891 for a single specimen
taken in Johore and contained in the Calcutta Museum.
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

I t is remarkable for possessing maxillary palpi composed

of five joints, unlike any other known beetle. Whether this
exceptional feature is peculiar to the male or common to
both sexes has remained unknown. The discovery, not only
of both sexes of that species, revealing t h a t the peculiarity
is found in both sexes, but of two other species closely
related to it, is therefore of considerable interest. I t is
also of interest to find that, while one of the new forms has
a 5-jointed antenna] club, like the type-species, the other,
extremely similar to it in other respects, has, in the male at
least, a 6-jointed club. All three species inhabit the
southern part of the Malay Peninsula. H. mirabilis Brsk.
has been found by Mr. H. M. Pendlebury in Perak State
(Larut Hills) and Selangor, the second species was taken
in Pahang and a third in Selangor. The two new forms,
which are a little smaller than H. mirabilis and without
the scanty clothing of long hairs upon its upper surface,
have long slender maxillary palpi, of exactly similar
appearance to those of H. mirabilis, but the supplementary
(basal) joint is much shorter, while having all the appear-
ance of a true articulation.
Holomelia calva, sp. n.
Dark pitchy-red, with the head, pronotum and scutellum
almost black, the upper surface hairless, the breast thickly
clothed with long tawny hair, the abdomen very smooth
but with sparse hairs upon the two terminal sternites, ahd
the pygidium bearing a few similar hairs near the apex.
Cylindrical, moderately long and "rather shining, the
head very densely and rugosely punctured, the clypeus
feebly emarginate in front, the pronotum very closely but
distinctly punctured, except near the front margin, where
the punctures are confluent. The sides of the pronotum
are strongly angulate, the front angles very obtuse and the
 644 Mr. Gilbert J. Arrow on Melolonthine Beetles .

hind angles obsolete. The elytra are rather closely punc-

tured but less strongly and closely towards the apex. The
pygidium is not closely punctured, the abdomen bears
numerous very fine punctures beneath but those of the
last two sternites are rather coarse and bear a few long
hairs. The club of the antenna is 5-jointed and very
short in both sexes.
Length 21-23 ram.
MALAY PENINSULA: Cameron's Highlands, Pahang
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

(April, November) ; Kinta Valley, S. Perak (H. N. Ridley,

September).
Three specimens.
As in H. mirabilis, the head, pronotum and scutellum
axe black and the elytra and lower surface deep red. The
long hairs borne by the type-species upon its upper
surface are entirely absent but there are a few short
ones towards the end of the pygidium. The lateral fringes,
as well as those upon the legs, are much shorter. The
punctures of the pronotum, a~though dense, are distinct
and not confluent as they are in H. mirabilis. The narrow
elytra costse are more distinct. The pygidium is finely and
scantily punctured and the abdomen beneath very finely,
the terminal sternite alone more strongly and closely.
The 5-jointed antennal club, very short in both sexes, is a
little longer in the male. The last three joints are a little
longer than the two preceding them. As in H. mirabilis,
the female has the extremity of the hind tibia much
expanded and the terminal spurs broad.
Holomelia anomala, sp. n.
Black above, the lower surface and legs very dark
reddish black, the upper surface naked, the breast clothed
with rather long and close tawny hair. The abdomen is.
naked, with the exception of the last two sternites, which
bear long but not numerous hairs.
Body cyhndrical, almost parallel-sided, moderately
long, rather shining, the head, pronotum and scutellum
strongly and densely punctured, the clypeus feebly
excised in the middle, the pronotum short, very densely
and rugosely punctured in. front, less densely behind,
the sides strongly angulate behind the middle and
almost straight to the front and hind angles, which are
very obtuse ; the scutellum closely punctured ; the elyCra
 belonging to Holotrichia and related genera. 645

rather closely punctured, especially near the front

margin, with a strong sutural costa, three narrow dorsal
cost~e and a lateral one. The pygidium is rather deeply and
closely punctured and bears only a few hairs near the apex.
The abdomen has only very fine scanty punctures beneath.
The club of the antenna is short, 6-jointed in the male~
the first joint shorter t h a n the rest.
Length 21 mm.
MM~AY PENINSULA : Ginting Bedai, Selangor, 2,000 ft..
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

(C. B. Kloss).
A single male specimen.
This species has an extremely close resemblance to H.
calva but will be easily recognised, at least in the male sex,
by the 6-jointed antennal club. The colour is darker, t h e
upper surface is rather more closely punctured and the
pygidium much more. The lower surface of the abdomen
is more scantily punctured in the type-specimen. The
club of the antenna, in addition to including an additional
lamella, is a little longer than those of males o f H . mirabilis
and calva.
Genus HEPTF.LTA Brsk.
The only described species of this genus is H. stvipidea
Brsk. ,(unknown to me), the antennal club of which
is composed in the male of seven lamell~e and in the
female of four. The 3rd joint is elongate in the male
but evidently not produced into a lamella. In a new
species it forms a lamella more than half as long
as the seven joints which follow, so t h a t an 8-
jointed club results. The female, instead of four joints,
has five in the club, of which the first two are shorter
than the rest, while the two preceding these are also
feebly produced. The third joint is rather large and angular
in front.
Heptelia polyphylla, sp. n.
Dark brown or reddish brown, rather darker upon the
head and pronotum, the lower surface and legs a little
paler, the head bearing rather scanty erect hairs and t h e
lower surface of the body and the pygidium clothed with
short b u t fairly close pale set~e. The elytra have also a
scanty and inconspicuous clothing of short pale setm.
Elongate, moderately shining, with the legs rather
slender, the antennae 10-jointed. Head and pronotum
 4}46 Mr. Gilbert 0. Arrow on Melolonthine Beetles

strongly and fairly closely umbilicate-punctate, the

¢lypeus short and feebly bilobed, the sides of the pro-
notum rounded, the front and hind angles very blunt,
the elytra strongly, deeply and closely punctured, with
a strong sutural costa and three narrow dorsal costm,
which disappear before the extremity. Pygidium strongly
umbilicate-punctate, the sides of the body beneath closely
punctured.
~. Antennm very short, the club S-jointed, the 3rd
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

joint elongate, its lamella shorter than those of joints 4-10.

~. 3rd joint of the antenna a little longer than the 2nd,
4 and 5 feebly produced, 6-10 forming the club, 6 and 7
a little shorter than 8-10.
Length 14 ram.
BOICNEO : Bidi, Sarawak (C. J. Brooks).
Both sexes of this species will be identified without
difficulty b y the structure of the club of the antenna.
In other respects it seems to show a close resemblance to
H. stripidea, as described by Brenske, except that the
basal joint of the hind tarsus in the female is not shorter
than the second joint.
Genus CREPISCHIZA Brsk.
Four species of this genus have been recorded, three
of them, like the two now added, having been found in
Tanganyika. I t is characteriscd b y a very narrow form,
especially in the male, and the produced and strongly
margined clypeus in that sex. The species bear a con-
siderable resemblance to certain narrow-bodied forms
placed in the Oriental genus Brahmina, b u t differ in
their scaly clothing and the evenly punctured surface of
the elytra.
Crepischiza pallida, sp. n.
Pale yellow, with the head and thorax rather reddish in
the female, shining above and beneath, rather closely and
evenly punctured, the punctures containing white scales,
which are very minute and inconspicuous upon the upper
surface, larger, broader and fairly close upon the lower
surface, except in the middle of the m e t a s t e r n u m and
abdomen.
The body is elongate, the front margin of the clypeus
straight in t h e middle and strongly rounded at the sides,
the sides of the pronotum angulate in the middle and nearly
 belonqing to Holotrichia and related .q,~nera. 647

straight from there to the angles, of which the front ones

are acute and the hind ones sharp and rectangular, the
whole upper surface closely and evenly punctured.
~. Clypeus more rectangular, the front margin more.
elevated, the pronotum with the front angles produced,
the elytra almost straight and parallel at the sides, the legs
slender, the claws very unequally cleft, the club of the
antenna long, the abdomen arched beneath and a little
flattened in the middle.
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

9. Clypeus shorter and flatter, its front margin less

raised, the elytra rounded at the sides and broader behind,
the abdomen convex beneath, the tarsi rather short, the
claws deeply and almost equally cleft, the antennal club
short.
Length 12-15 mm.
TA~GANYIKA : Morogoro (A. H. Ritchie, Jan.)
Numerous specimens of both sexes were taken. It is
a smaller and more closely punctured insect than C.
usambar~ B'rsk. and of paler colour than C. ertli and
sinuaticeps Moser, of which the angles of the prothorax are
obtuse, whilst here they are sharp, as in C..~sa,rnbar~e.
The front margin of the clypeus is straight, as in that
species, and not excised, as in C. sinuaticeps. The entire
upper surface is closely and evenly punctured, the punc-
tures containing extremely small narrow scales. The
pygidium bears rather more numerous and conspicuous
scales and those of the lower surface of the body are larger,
broader and more closely set, especially upon the thorax
and hind coxm. The male is much narrower and more
parallel-sided than the female and, in addition to the
features already mentioned, the front tibiee are more
feebly toothed and the claws only slightly cleft at the tips.
Crepischiza pruinosa, sp. n.
Rather dark red, with the legs pale and the elytra
tawny, with a dull silky texture, the whole surface above
and beneath clothed with fine but conspicuous white
scales, rather close at the sides of the body beneath.
Very narrowly elongate, with slender legs, the clypeus
strongly and closely punctured, its front, margin elevated
and nearly straight, the forehead strongly irregularly
punctured and a little impressed on each side, the pronotum
short and broad, closely punctured, the sides angxdate in
A~un. & Maq. IV. Hist. Ser. 11. gal. x i . 46
 648 Mr. G. E. Bryant on
the middle and straight to the angles, which are sharply
rectangular; the scutellum strongly punctured, with the
apex smooth; the elytra closely, finely and evenly punc-
tured; the pygidium strongly and closely punctured.
c~. Clypeus broad and moderately long, the club of the
antenna nearly as long as the footstalk, the claws minutely
cleft at the tip.
Length 14 mm.
TAI~GANYIKA : Morogoro (.4. H. Ritchie, Jan.).
Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 17:22 09 February 2015

A single' male specimen.

This species is not pale and shining, like the last, but
very deep red in colour, with the els~ra a little paler and
showing a dull bloom. I t is very closely and evenly punc-
tured everywhere, except in the middle of the metasternum,
and conspicuosuly clothed with small scales, which are
dense at the sides of the thorax beneath. The shape is still
more elongate than in the male of C. paUida, the clypeus
is a little shorter than that of C. paUida and feebly excised
in front, and the forehead bears two impressions between
the eyes. The claws (of the male) are rather feebly cleft
a t the extremity.
NOTE.--In Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (11) x. 1943, p. 73, I
stated t h a t eleven joints are found in the antennae of
Lamellicorn beetles in the Geotrupinm alone. I had over-
looked the very peculiar Melolonthine Phalangosoma
mechowi Qued.

LVI.--New Species of South American Chrysomelid~e

(Halticinm, Col.). By G. E. BRYANT, F.R.E.S., Im-
perial Institute of Entomology.

ALL the types of the new species are in the British

Museum (Natural History).
Lactica bondari, sp. n. (Fig. 1.)
Flavous, with the exception of the eight terminal
segments of the antennae, the anterior and intermediate
tibim, the apical half of the posterior femora and tibi~
black, head and prothorax impunctate, the elytra closely
and finely punctured.
Length 3 mm.