Descriptions of three new species of the genus Physodera (Carabidae)

The genus Physodera has been established already in 1829 by Eschscholtz for a species (P. Dejeani Esch.) with very singular inflated sides of the thorax. Twenty years afterwards Major Parry added a second species P. Eschscholtzi Parry) to the genus, which entirely wants that peculiarity, however, in all other respects agreeing perfectly well with the type of the genus. Both species have been originally described from the Philippine-Islands, but Major Parry made already mention that he himself possessed a specimen of P. Eschscholtzi from Ceylon. Subsequent explorations have shown that they are both very widely distributed. Schmidt Göbel in his Faunula coleopterorum Birmaniae” records P. Dejeani Esch. from Tenasserim and Dr. Hagen sent over to the Leyden Museum, specimens from East-Sumatra (Deli), together with examples of P. Eschscholtzi Parry, which is also known as an inhabitant of Borneo and Java. Having such a wide range, it is not surprising that these species are subject to certain modifications. The elytral colour is very variable, even specimens from one and the same locality differ within the limits of golden-bronzy to violaceous-purple. The thorax of Eschscholtzi I found very inconstant in outline, being considerably larger in some examples than in others, and the elytral sculpture of that species is sometimes very distinct, sometimes quite obsolete. Recently Fairmaire described a new Physodera from China, Fokien, under the name of P. Davidis Fairm. As the whole description does not contain a single expression, which should not apply perfectly well to P. Eschscholtzi, and moreover, as the diagnosis is not accompanied by a single word of comparison, which should let us suppose that the author has known the existance of to regard Eschscholtzi, I shall allow myself P. Davidis Fairm., until better evidence of its specific distinctness will be given, as a mere synonym of P. Eschscholtzi Parry. I shall now proceed to describe in this paper three more species of Physodera; two of them, originating respectively from Hongkong and Celebes, are closely allied to P. Eschscholtzi ; whether they must be regarded as distinct species or as local forms of Eschscholtzi, is a matter of opinion, but looking both very different and deserving certainly a name, I do not see much harm in treating them presently as distinct. The third species, which has been already for a long time in the collection of the Leyden Museum, is labelled »Java” and is as different from the two old species, as these are mutually.