New Species of Podagrica (Halticinae, Coleoptera) from Africa

Extract

The genus Podagrica occurs in very large numbers in Africa, both as regards species and specimens, and from the records we already have, at least twelve are recorded as doing damage to cotton, Hibiscus and other plants. A list of these is given and also a list of described African species, there being at present no up-to-date catalogue of the Halticinae.

Weise, in Naturgeschichte der Insecten Deutschlands, 26, 1886, p. 681, sinks the genus Nisotra, Baly, 1864, to Podagrica, Foudras, 1860, quite rightly. There are already 39 described African species, to which I now add eight new ones. There can be no doubt that the whole genus will prove to be destructive to various crops. It ranges from Europe to Australia, but does not occur in North or South America. The species are very difficult to define, almost as much so as the genus Haltica ; the species having the prothorax fulvous and the elytra blue form the largest group ; another group is entirely flavous or fulvous, and a third small group has spots or slight markings.