THE ENTOMOLOGIST.

VOL. XXIII.]

JULY, 1890.

[No. 326.

COLEOPTERA COLLECTED BY MR. PRATT ON THE UPPER YANG-TSZE, AND ON THE BORDERS OF TIBET.

By H. W. BATES, F.R.S., F.L.S.

THE following is a list, with descriptions of new species, of the Coleoptera belonging to the three sections Geodephaga, Lamellicornia, and Longicornia, lately received by Mr. Leech, from his collector Mr. Pratt, in the interior of China. The greater number were collected at Chia-Ting-Fu, on the Min River, a tributary of the Yang-tsze, near the eastern border of Tibet and on the Wa-shan mountains, fifty miles south-west of that city. The two localities are near Mou-pin, a district in which French missionaries have long been settled, and whence numerous collections have been received in Paris and described by French entomologists. Many of the most striking forms enumerated in the following list are consequently already known, though until now wanting in English collections.

Family CICINDELIDE.

CICINDELA JAPANENSIS, Chaudoir.

Ichang. Found also near Fu-chau.

The examples sent are intermediate between the typical C. japanensis of Nipon and the form C. maritima of the widely-distributed C. hybrida. They differ from the Japanese species in the reddish coppery colour of the upper surface, though they agree with it in the subparallel form and rather fine granulation, and in colour of under-side and legs. The middle fascia of the elytra is less bent towards the apex, and the humeral lunule is generally entire, though sometimes interrupted.

Ichang.

CICINDELA SUMATRENSIS, Herbst.

Family CARABIDÆ.

NEBRIA PULCHERRIMA, Bates, Trans. Ent. Soc. 1873, p. 236. Ichang. Found also in Japan, and constant in its coloration, ENTOM.-JULY, 1890.

Q

-testaceous-yellow, with a round black spot on each elytron a little behind the middle and contiguous to the suture.

CARABUS TIENTEI, Thomson.

Chia-ting Fu (1000 feet), and Wa-shan (6000 feet).

Mr. Pratt had previously taken this species at Ichang and Kiu-Kiang, lower down the Yang-tsze. At Ichang it is smaller, and the peculiar sinuation of the elytral apex in the female, with tooth-like projection of the outer angles, is much less developed. Kiu-Kiang examples measure 37 millims.; those from Chia-ting Fu and Wa-shan are from 36 to 40 millims., but Ichang specimens are only 27-30 millims. Thomson gives 30-32 millims. as the size of the insect he described. The colour is nearly always black, with a slight silky gloss, but individuals occur of a bluish hue, and some have a purple-coppery tinge on the sides of the thorax and elytra. In the largest individuals the sides of the striæ are generally free from the row of minute granules which are seen in the smaller ones and in C. protenes, and which give the appearance of punctured striæ, the striæ proper being constantly impunctate.

CARABUS PROTENES, Bates, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1889, p. 217. Wa-shan and Chia-ting Fu. Taken previously at Ichang. This species is apparently closely allied to C. delavayi (Fairmaire), from Yunnan. The thorax varies considerably in outline, being sometimes-as in the description above cited— elongate, slightly dilated before the middle, and thence narrowed to the apex, but in other examples broader anteriorly, and in others decidedly but gradually narrowed behind, with sinuated margin, and narrow, acute, and deflected hind angles. Occasionally the side carina of the triplets of the elytra are depressed and subinterrupted, as occurs in C. monilis and allied species.

CARABUS FIDUCIARIUS, Thomson.

Chia-ting Fu. A widely-distributed Chinese species.

CARABUS PRATTIANUS, n. sp.

Closely allied to C. tientei, and of the same greatly elongated form, with (in female) strongly sinuated and dentated apices of elytra; the thorax is also similar in being broadly rotundate-dilated in front and strongly narrowed behind, with very little sinuation and obtuse deflexed hind angles, the surface minutely and irregularly rugulose. But it differs conspicuously in the sculpture of the elytra, which consists on each side of three rows of large convex tubercles, separated from one another, and from the sutural and lateral spaces, by a strongly elevated carina; the lateral marginal space has a shorter row of similar but smaller tubercles, followed by a minutely granulated margin; the sutural area is depressed and transversely rugulose. Long. 38 millim. 2.

Ichang. A single example.

CARABUS MECYNODES, n. sp.

Allied to C. davidis (Deyrolle). In form the male, though relatively equally elongate, is more cylindrical than that of C. tientei and C. protenes, the elytra not being perceptibly widened behind, and the convexity sloping to the apex. The thorax is very similar in form to that of C. tientei, being broad and rounded in front and narrowed behind, with little sinuosity, to the subobtuse hind angles, but the surface is much more faintly rugulose. The elytra have the same type of sculpture, viz., three chain-striæ on each, separated from one another, and from the sutural and marginal spaces, by three carinæ, but the striæ are much less deeply incised. The lateral space exterior to the three carinæ is minutely granulated in lines. The apex (in the male) is sinuated rather more strongly than in the same sex of C. tientei. In colour the species is very different, the head and thorax being dark bluish green and the elytra purple-coppery. The palpi, dilated anterior tarsi, and ventral grooves are as in C. tientei and allies. Long. 30 millim. ♂. Wa-shan. Three examples, all males.

CARABUS VIGILAX, n. sp.

A species of the same group as C. tientei (subg. Morphocarabus, Géhin), but distinguished from all the others by its very prominent eyes and cordatequadrate thorax, strongly sinuate and narrowed behind, with outstanding and subacute hind angles. Elongate, slender, elytra moderately elongated, convex behind the middle, and flattened at the sides and apex ; black, neck constricted; thorax faintly coriaceous; elytra obliquely subtruncated at the apex, each with three chain-striæ, and with four series of triple carinæ, the lateral one granulated and less regular, the striæ very faintly punctured; the large foveæ of the chain-striæ impinge in some cases on the adjoining carina on each side, and therefore show an approximation to the type of sculpture characteristic of the sylvestris group (subg. Oreocarabus, Géhin). The legs are elongate; the anterior tarsi of the male have four nearly equally dilated joints; the 4th to 6th segments of the abdomen have a curved transverse groove the terminal joints of the palpi are very slightly dilated, even in the male, and the antennæ in the same sex are simple and elongated. Long. 22 millim. ♂, f.

Wa-shan, alt. 6000 feet; Chia-ting Fu, 1000 feet.

COPTOLABRUS PUSTULIFER, Lucas, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1867 and 1872, p. 293, t. 14, f. 12.

Mr. Pratt obtained a fine series of this very remarkable species both at Chia-ting Fu and at Wa-shan, all the examples being conformable to the description and figure given by Lucas above cited. COPTOLABRUS PRINCIPALIS, Bates, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1889, p. 216.

Ichang. Further specimens of this species, distinguished by the elegance of the elytral sculpture from the allied species of similar emerald-green and golden-coppery colours, have been received from the same locality, the neighbourhood of Ichang, whence came the original examples.

COPTOLABRUS LONGIPENNIS, Chaudoir, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1863, p. 449.

Ichang. In the Proceedings Zool. Soc.' 1889, p. 217, I have given the reasons for referring the insect previously taken by Mr. Pratt, at Ichang, to the species described by Baron Chaudoir.

CALOSOMA CHINENSIS, Kirby.

Many examples from Wa-shan and Chia-ting Fu. The species is common in eastern China, and in the north as far as the Amur.

CALOSOMA THIBETANUM, Fairmaire, Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. xxxi. p. 92.

Apparently an abundant species at Wa-shan and Chia-ting Fu; there is also one example in the collection received from Ichang. The species was first met with by the French missionaries at Moupin, near the Tibetan frontier, and is distinguished from C. lugens (Chaud.), and other species of the C. investigator group, by the angular dilatation of the sides of the thorax and the non-metallic foves of the elytra.

CHLENIUS NÆVIGER, Morawitz.

Wa-shan, alt. 6000 feet; Ichang. Found also in Japan.

CHLENIUS COSTIGER, Chaudoir.

Wa-shan, alt. 6000 feet. A widely-distributed insect in Eastern Asia, occurring from Japan to Cambodia. Sze-chuen examples resemble those from Cambodia in the thorax being brilliant green, with little trace of coppery reflections.

HARPALUS VICARIUS, Harold.

Wa-shan, 6000 feet; also Eastern Siberia and Japan. A species closely allied to the common European H. ruficornis (Fab.). The differential characters relied on by Harold are, however, not constant, some of the Chinese examples having the hind angles quite as rectangular as British specimens. In Japan individuals occur with smooth head and centre of thorax; but others have finely punctured thoracic disk and the head faintly punctured. All the Wa-shan examples are like the last mentioned.

HARPALUS TRIDENS, Morawitz.

Wa-shan. Found also at Ichang and Kiu-Kiang, and in Japan as far north as Hakodate.

HARPALUS CHALCENTUS, Bates, Trans. Ent. Soc. 1873, p. 263. Ichang. A common species throughout Eastern China, Japan, and Korea.

CURTONOTUS NITENS, Putzeys.

Ichang. Also a widely distributed species throughout the Pacific sea-board of Asia.

PTEROSTICHUS (?) PRATTII.

Very near P. simillimus (Fairmaire), differing in its larger size, more elongate, though robust, form, and the longer, squarer thorax, with nearly rectangular hind angles. Black; head moderate, much narrowed behind

the eyes; frontal furrows faintly impressed, flexuous; antennæ nearly half the length of the body. Thorax as long as broad, gradually and slightly narrowed behind to the apex of the nearly rectangular angles; lateral rim accompanied by a sharply incised furrow; basal foveæ sharply impressed, two on each side, the inner one long, the outer very short and communicating with the inner one by a short basal furrow. Elytra elongated, rounded at the shoulders, obliquely sinuated at apex, broadest far behind the middle, deeply striated; scutellar striole null, except a short oblique incision close to the basal fold; interstices moderately convex, much narrowed near the apex, and the 9th narrow throughout; one dorsal puncture only on the 3rd interstice far behind the middle; the 8th stria regularly ocellate-punctate. Beneath nearly smooth. 3. Terminal ventral segment with a central sharp carina strongly elevated in the middle. Long. 23-26 millim. ♂, ?.

Wa-shan. A large series of examples. The species, like P. simillimus (Fairm.), is allied to the European P. melas, but it is a much larger insect than either, and the thorax is differently shaped. The palpi in the male are somewhat dilated, especially the labials, and truncated at the apex. The middle episterna are short and broad.

TRIGONOTOMA DOHRNII, Chaudoir. Ichang. A species of South-eastern China, found at Hong Kong, and also at Saigon in Cambodia.

DOLICHUS FLAVICORNIS, Fabr. Wa-shan. Found in the warmer temperate latitudes throughout Europe and Asia.

COLPODES AMENUS, Chaudoir.

Wa-shan. A widely distributed East Asiatic species. C. superlita, Bates (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1888, p. 383), from Kiu Kiang, is probably only a variety, in which the produced apex of elytra is truncated and spined at the sutural angle; the thorax is, however, a little shorter and more sinuated behind. The single example from Wa-shan is nearly intermediate between the two forms.

Family COPRIDÆ,

SYNAPSIS DAVIDIS, Fairmaire, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1878, p. 96, pl. 14, f. 5.

Wa-shan. Originally taken by Père David in "Central China." The species is very distinct from the Indian forms previously described, by its subopaque and finely reticulated elytra, in which the striæ are scarcely visible.

ENOPLOTRUPES SINENSIS, Lucas.

Wa-shan, alt. 6000 feet. Taken by Père David in the district of Moupin, Eastern Tibet.

ENOPLOTRUPES VARIICOLOR, Fairmaire.

Wa-shan, alt. 6000 feet. Recorded by Fairmaire as taken in the interior of China.

(To be concluded.)