ON A NEW GENUS AND A NEW SPECIES OF ALTICINAE ( COLEOPTERA : CHRYSOMELIDAE ) FROM ARUNACHAL PRADESH . By

Maulik (1926), classified the Alticinae having II-jointed antennae into four subsections and placed all the Alticinae having front coxal cavities open behind in subsection IV. The new genus Maulika described in the present paper falls under the subsection IV. This genus is closely related to Pentamesa Harold. Maulik (1926) separated _\. the genus P entamesa from the other genera by its characteristic curved tibiae. Scherer (1969) separated Pentamesa and its allit!d genera from the others by the tarsal segment 3 being entire (not bilobed) and separated the genus Pentamesa from its allied genera by its characteristic curved front tibiae and incrassated feroma. The present genus Maulika clearly falls in this group and nearest to Pentamesa for having similar types of tibiae and femora but can be ea~ily sepa~ated from the latter genus by the following characters: Clypeus bilobed with apical margin strongly emarginated (Text-fig. 1B), pronotum glabrous with basal margin devoid of median lobe, elytral-puncturation rather indistinct and irregularly arranged in rows. The genus M aulika shows also some resemblance with the genus Argopu8 Fischer, especially in having similar type of clypeus but can be easily separated by its elbowed front tibiae, hind tibiae with apical spurs and their longitudinal groove at outer side absent. Type species Maulika decemmaculata sp. nov.

the genus P entamesa from the other genera by its characteristic curved tibiae.Scherer (1969) separated Pentamesa and its allit!d genera from the others by the tarsal segment 3 being entire (not bilobed) and separated the genus Pentamesa from its allied genera by its characteristic curved front tibiae and incrassated feroma.The present genus Maulika clearly falls in this group and nearest to Pentamesa for having similar types of tibiae and femora but can be ea~ily sepa~ated from the latter genus by the following characters: Clypeus bilobed with apical margin strongly emarginated (Text-fig.1B), pronotum glabrous with basal margin devoid of median lobe, elytral-puncturation rather indistinct and irregularly arranged in rows.The genus M aulika shows also some resemblance with the genus Argopu8 Fischer, especially in having similar type of clypeus but can be easily separated by its elbowed front tibiae, hind tibiae with apical spurs and their longitudinal groove at outer side absent.
Generai appearance (Text~fig.1, A) almost hemispherical, dorsally strongly convex and ventrally almost flat, and small in size.dissected, mandible with 3 visible apical teeth, maxillary palpi somewhat aciculate with segment 1 short, segment 2 long, segment 3 longest and broadened at apex, apical segment short and pointed.Labial palpi normal with apical segment elongated and fusiform.
M eso-and metathorax: (Text-fig.1, C), mesosternum markedly short, pentagonal and almost hidden by the projection of prosternal process, mesocoxae moderately widely separated, sternal fitting between them with a single broad knob from metasternum, mesocoxal cavities broadly open outwards and mesoepimera extending to mesocox;al c~vitiesf metasternum strongly transverse, median impre&sed line short and metacoxae widely separated.
Wing and Elytra: (Text-fig.1,A), each elytron with five distinct spots.punctaration rather indistinct and arranged in irregular rows, epiplura complete, broad at base and progressively narrowed posteriorly.Wing not studied.
Legs: ( Text-fig.1, C) rather short, trochanter short and simple, femora broadened towards apex and grooved posteriorly where tibiae rest at repose, tibiae curved and broadened apically with distinct single spur, tarsal segments lobed, segment 1 longer than segment 2, segment 3 wider and more strongly lobed than segment 2 but not split longitudinally along the middle, segment 4 minute, segment 5 longer than segment 3, claws appendiculate.
Head moderately broad, convex, impunctate, clypeus and labrum with a few whitish hairs, eyes blackish, large, moderately convex and its margin bordered with black ring.Antennae yellowish brown, extending near the middle of elytra, six apical joints progressively thicker and comparatively densely pubescent, apical joint pointed.Prothorax almost one and half times broader than long, pronotum smooth, impunctate and glabrous.Scutellum impunctate, triangular and its apical margin rounded.Elytra broadest at middle and slightly wider than pro thorax ; each elytron with 5 rounded black spots, two at base, two across middle and apical one largest, and with 10 irregular rows of minute punctures, puncturation near apex rather indistinct, scutellary striole represented by 7 to 11 punctures.Ventral side reddish brown and covered with whitish hairs, sides and basal margin of metasternum, metacoxae, sides of abdomen and apical half of hind femora blackish, , classified the Alticinae having II-jointed antennae into four subsections and placed all the Alticinae having front coxal cavities open behind in subsection IV.The new genus Maulika described in the present paper falls under the subsection IV.This genus is closely related to Pentamesa Harold.Maulik (1926) separated _\.