Art. XL.—Descriptions of New Genera and Species of Coleoptera. By Major T. Broun, F.E.S. [Read before the Auckland Institute, 22nd November, 1910.] In the following list the names and numbers (3157–3163) of new species of Byrrhidae recorded in Bulletin No. 2 of the New Zealand Institute are prefixed so as to succeed the last number in Bulletin No. 1. This was necessary to make the numbering consecutive, and to prevent these species being overlooked. Within the present year (1910) descriptions of seven new genera and 189 species of New Zealand beetles have been prepared. To these are added, in their proper places, eight species of Pselaphidae published in the German language by Herr Reitter, of Vienna. This unexpectedly large addition, to a great extent, is the result of explorations of different peaks of the Tararua Range by Messrs. A. O'Connor and H. W. Simmonds, of Wellington, and of portions of the Southern Alps by Mr. H. Hamilton, also a resident of that city. Mr. W. L. Wallace, of Timaru, during the unfavourable part of the collecting season managed to secure several new species on the Kaikoura Range. Various localities near the elevated Waimarino Plateau, owing chiefly to the assistance rendered by Mr. W. J. Guinness, yielded about a third of the total number collected during the year. In all cases credit is given, in the descriptive part of this paper, to every individual who helped to produce the general result. The foregoing remarks incontestably prove that our knowledge of the insect fauna of the higher altitudes is very imperfect, notwithstanding the fact that 3,360 species of Coleoptera have been found in New Zealand. It may also be stated that a considerable proportion of these alpine beetles are exponents of distinct genera, and, as a rule, are finer or more interesting than those of corresponding groups procured on the lowlands. Of Stewart Island we know scarcely anything entomologically, only one species, so far as I can remember, having been described from that region, which, if carefully searched, will probably yield some forms more or less allied to those obtained by the members of the recent expedition to the subantarctic islands.
List of New Genera and Species. Group Byrrhidae. 3157. Synorthus mandibularis Broun. 3158. " laevigatus Broun. 3159. " pygmaeus Broun. 3160. Pedilophorus foveigerus Broun. 3161. " sculpturatus Broun. 3162. " cognatus Broun. 3163. " bryobius Broun. Group Cnemacanthidae. 3164. Mecodema o'connori Broun. 3165. " bryobium Broun. 3166. " laevicolle Broun. 3167. " quoinense Broun. 3168. " arcuatum Broun. Group Anchomenidae. 3169. Ctenognathus simmondsi Broun. 3170. Tarastethus amplipennis Broun. 3171. " phyllocharis Broun. 3172. " lewisi Broun. 3173. " cordipennis Broun. Group Pogonidae. 3174. Oöpterus laevigatus Broun. Group Feronidae. 3175. Trichosternus wallacei Broun. 3176. Pterostichus hamiltoni Broun. Group Anisodactylidae. 3177. Allocinopus smithi Broun. 3178. " castaneus Broun. 3179. " angustulus Broun. 3180. Zabronothus major Broun. 3181. " aphelus Broun. Group Aleocharidae. 3182. Aphytopus porosus Broun. 3183. " granifer Broun. 3184. " guinnessi Broun. 3185. Calodera wallacei Broun. 3186. " fultoni Broun. 3187. Myrmecopora funesta Broun. 3188. " granulata Broun. Group Staphylinidae. 3189. Quedius eruensis Broun. 3190. " xenophaenus Broun. Group Pederidae. 3191. Lithocharis longipennis Broun. 3192. Dimerus whitehorni Broun. Group Osoridae. 3193. Holotrochus setigerus Broun. Group Oyxtelidae. 3194. Bledius bidentifrons Broun. Group Pselaphidae. 3195. Sagola monticola Broun. 3196. Euglyptus foveicollis Broun. 3197. " longicornis Broun. 3198. Euplectopsis longicollis Reitter. 3199. " macrocephalus Reitter 3200. " brevicollis Reitter. 3201. " rotundicollis Reitter. 3202. " trichonyformis Reitter 3203. " schizocnemis Broun. 3204. " carinatus Broun. 3205. " antennalis Broun. 3206. " eruensis Broun. 3207. " heterarthrus Broun. 3208. " biimpressus Broun. 3209. Pycnoplectus cephalotea Reitter. 3210. Vidamus calcaratus Broun. 3211. " incertus Reitter. 3212. Plectomorphus optandus Broun. 3213. " longipes Broun. 3214. Byraxis monstrosa Reitter. 3215. " rhyssarthra Broun. Group Silphidae. 3216. Choleva caeca Broun. 3217. " castanea Broun. 3218. Camiarus estriatus Broun. 3219. Silphotelus obliquus Broun. Group Colydiidae. 3220. Syncalus explanatus Broun. 3221. Tarphiomimus tuberculatus Broun. 3222. Ulonotus uropterus Broun. 3223. " wallacei Broun. 3224. Notoulus demissus Broun. 3225. Bitoma maura Broun. Group Pycnomeridae. 3226. Pycnomerus reversus Broun. 3227. " candidus Broun. Group Bothrideridae. 3228. Bothrideres diversus Broun. Group Cryptophagidae. 3229. Cryptophagus amoenus Broun. Group Lathridiidae. 3230. Corticaria fuscicollis Broun. Group Byrrhidae. 3231. Pedilophorus opaculus Broun. Group Copridae. 3232. Saphobius lepidus Broun. Group Melolonthidae. 3233. Odontria nitidula Broun. 3234. " monticola Broun. 3235. " similis Broun. 3236. Costleya simmondsi Broun.
Group Eucnemidae. 3237. Talerax dorsalis Broun. Group Elaleridae. 3238. Protelater diversus Broun 3239. Chrosis dubitans Broun. 3240. Corymbites fulvescens Broun. 3241. " vitticollis Broun. 3242. " approximans Broun. 3243. " sternalis Broun. Group Dascyllidae. 3244. Atopida basalis Broun. 3245. Mesocyphon mandibularis Broun. 3246. Cyphon pachymerus Broun. Group Melyridae. 3247. Arthracanthus foveicollis Broun. Group Cleridae. 3248. Phymatophaea griseipennis Broun. 3249. Parmius violaceus Broun. Group Anobiidae. 3250. Anobium inaequale Broun. 3251. " niticolle Broun. Group Opatridae. 3252. Syrphetodes truncatus Broun. Group Diaperidae. 3253. Menimus lineatus Broun. Group Helopidae. 3254. Adelium complicatum Broun. 3255. Cerodolus curvellus Broun. Group Anthicidae. 3256. Cotes insignis Broun. Group Melandryidae. 3257. Hylobia plagiata Broun. 3258. " guinnessi Broun. Group Otiorhynchidae. 3259. Nicaeana nesophila Broun. 3260. Epitimetes grisealis Broun. 3261. Nonnotus nigricans Broun. 3262. Tigones rugosa Broun. 3263. " albopicta Broun. 3264. Platyomida hamiltoni Broun. 3265. " morosa Broun. 3266. Lyperobates guinnessi Broun. 3267. " elegantulus Broun. 3268. " rostralis Broun. 3269. " punctatus Broun. 3270. Phaeocharis cuprealis Broun. 3271. " punctatus Broun. 3272. Notiopatae terricola Broun. 3273. Getopsephus acuminatus Broun. 3274. Brachyolus labeculatus Broun. 3275. " varius Broun. 3276. Agatholobus waterhousei Broun. Group Rhyparoschidae. 3277. Phrynixus setipes Broun. 3278. " binodosus Broun. 3279. Lithocia acuminata Broun. 3280. Bradypatae minor Broun. 3281. Clypeorhynchus calvulus Broun. 3282. " caudatus Broun. 3283. Phemus curvipes Broun. 3284. " constrictus Broun. 3285. Sosgenes planirostris Broun. 3286. Rachidiscus multinodosus Broun. 3287. Phygothalpus sulcicollis Broun. Group Cylindrorhinidae. 3288. Tocris aterrima Broun. 3289. " hamiltoni Broun. 3290. Heteromias foveirostris Broun. 3291. Geochus posticalis Broun. Group Erirhinidae. 3292. Erirhinus titahensis Broun. 3293. " oleariae Broun. 3294. " exilis Broun. 3295. Dorytomus maorinus Broun. 3296. " consonus Broun. 3297. Aneuma spinifera Broun. 3298. Eugnomus calvulus Broun. 3299. " dennanensis Broun. 3300. Oreocharis albosparsa Broun. 3301. " veronicae Broun. 3302. " picipennis Broun. 3303. " uniformis Broun. 3304. " dives Broun. 3305. " castanea Broun. 3306. Hoplocneme vicina Broun. 3307. Pactola nitidula Broun. 3308. " fuscicornis Broun. 3309. " binodiceps Broun. Group Anthonomidaea. 3310. Hypotagea lewisi Broun. Group Cryptorhynchidae. 3311. Psepholax acauthomerus Broun. 3312. Mesoreda longula Broun. 3313. Acalles conicollis Broun. 3314. " eruensis Broun. 3315. " peelensis Broun. 3316. " consors Broun. 3317. " gracilis Broun. 3318. " contractus Broun. 3319. Tychanna costatus Broun. 3320. Crisius humeralis Broun. 3321. " semifuscus Broun. 3322. " decorus Broun. 3323. Tychanopais flavisparsus Broun. 3324. Allanalcis ignealia Broun. 3325. " oculatus Broun. 3326. " dilatatus Broun. 3327. Metacalles crinitus Broun. 3328. " lanosus Broun. 3329. Zeacalles pictus Broun. 3330. " femoralis Broun. 3331. Onias irregularis Broun. Xenacalles gen. nov. Type 1427. 3332. Getacalles substriatus Broun.
Group Cossonidae 3333. Pentarthrum impressum Broun. 3334. " tenebrosum Broun. Group Anthribidae. 3335. Eugonissus turneri Broun. 3336. " sylvanus Broun. 3337. Anthribus cornutellus Broun. 3338. " levineusis Broun. 3339. " obscurus Broun. 3340. " wairirensis Broun. Group Cerambycidae. 3341. Didymocantha media Broun. 3342. " oedemera Broun. 3343. " fuscicollis Broun. Group Lamiidae. 3344. Somatidia thoracica Broun. 3345. " nodularia Broun. 3346. " piscoidea Broun. Group Lamiidae—continued 3347. Somatidia posticalis Broun. 3348. " corticola Broun. 3349. " pinguis Broun. 3350. Tetrorea maculata Broun. 3351. Hybolasius cupiendus Broun. 3352. " tumidellus Broun. 3353. " rugicollis Broun. Group Eumolpidae. 3354. Pilacolaspis angulatus Broun. 3355. " latipennis Broun. Group Galerucidae. 3356. Luperus simmondsi Broun. 3357. " foveigerus Broun. 3358. " o'connori Broun. 3359. " atripennis Broun. Group Erotylidae. 3360. Cryptodacne ocularia Broun. Group Cnemacanthidae. 3164. Mecodema o'connori sp. nov. Mecodema Blanchard, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 7. Robust, moderately convex, shining, elytra less so; black, legs and antennae rufo-piceous, palpi more rufescent. Head large, including the mandibles, a fourth longer than the thorax, with a series of fine punctures across it behind the prominent eyes, near which, and on the forehead, the rugae are well marked and longitudinal. Thorax with crenulate margins, which are a little expanded in front; it is slightly broader near the apex than at the middle, and ‘considerably curvedly narrowed behind, so that the base is but little more than half the breadth of the frontal portion, just at the obtusely rectangular angles the sides are almost straight, the apex is slightly but widely incurved, the base truncate, its length is a fourth less than the width; the mesial groove is well marked and ends at the transversal impression near the apex, the basal fossae are deep, placed close to the sides, extend a little inwards, and are limited behind by the raised basal margin; the disc is finely transversely striate, the base and apex longitudinally but indefinitely, near each side there is a shallow foveiform impression. Elytra, oblong-oval, gently narrowed towards the base, which, notwithstanding, is rather broader than that of the thorax; their striae are well marked, the 5 nearest the suture, on each, are closely and distinctly punctured, with plane, broad interstices; near the sides the striae are deeper and broader, and their punctures rather coarser and somewhat transversal, with narrower and more convex interstices; the smooth space outside the 8th stria is rather narrow, and is not prolonged forwards much beyond the posterior femur. Antennae pubescent from the 5th joint onwards. Legs relatively rather slender, the anterior and intermediate tibiae with moderately prominent external angles. Underside black, a little nitid, nearly smooth, the terminal ventral segment finely transversely striate, unipunctate at each side of the middle, at the extremity.
The diagnosis shows clearly enough that this cannot very well be confounded with previously described species. ♀. Length, 35mm.; breadth, 11mm. Levin, near Wellington. A single female. This bears the name of its discoverer, Mr. A. O'Connor, who has recently brought to light many interesting beetles from the Tararua Range and other localities 3165. Mecodema bryobium sp. nov. Elongate, slightly convex, head and thorax a little shining, elytra rather dull; nigrescent, legs and antennae rufo-piceous. Head nearly as broad as front of thorax and, including the mandibles, rather longer than it is; rather coarsely rugose, longitudinally at the sides and on the forehead, transversely on the vertex, in line with the back part of the prominent eyes it is rather coarsely rugosely punctate, the sculpture behind consists of short irregular wrinkles and fine punctures. Thorax slightly broader than long, widely yet not deeply incurved in front, lateral margins not definitely crenulate, slightly rounded from the anterior angles to beyond the middle, behind strongly curvedly narrowed, but straight near the obtuse angles, its base little more than half the width of the middle; disc nearly flat; the distinct central furrow does not quite reach the base or apex, both of which are impressed with short longitudinal striae; the well-marked rugae do not extend right across the surface, being somewhat interrupted or irregular; there is no distinct punctation; the basal fossae are deep, and situated close to the lateral and basal margins. Elytra oblong-oval, gradually narrowed towards the base, which, however, is broader than that of the thorax; on each elytron the 5 discoidal striae are narrow and rather finely punctured, but are much more deeply impressed at the base; the intervals between these are nearly quite flat, and under the microscope appear densely and minutely coriaceous; the outer striae are deep, but not coarsely punctured, with subcarinate interstices, which, as well as some of the adjoining ones, are traversed more or less by short transverse impressions. Underside shining black; the middle of the head with short transverse rugae, its sides with short, dense, very irregular rugosities; pro-sternum irregularly punctate, flanks of mesosternum densely and rugosely; abdomen finely sculptured, its last segment bipunctate at each side of the middle at the apex. This bears a considerable resemblance to M. acuductum (2602), but the thorax differs in form, being more abruptly contracted at the base; there is no punctation near the anterior angles; the discoidal rugae are more numerous, coarser, and interrupted, and no single one stretches right across the disc; and, moreover, the lateral margins are not perceptibly crenulate. The punctation of the outer elytral striae is entirely different. In 2602 the punctures are deep and subquadrate, and the transverse intervals between them are on about the same level as the longitudinal interstices, just the reverse of what occurs in this species. These are not sexual disparities, as my specimen of each species is of the male sex. ♂. Length, 26 mm.; breadth, 8 mm. Silverstream, near Wellington. Mr. A. O'Connor informs me that he secured several specimens, on different occasions, amongst moss at the roots of birch-trees only.
3166. Mecodema laevicolle sp. nov. Elongate, brilliant, nigrescent; legs, antennae, and palpi rufopiceous. Head, mandibles included, slightly longer than thorax and, including the convex eyes, almost as broad as it is; nearly smooth, there being only a few fine scattered punctures on the vertex, more numerous ones across the back part just behind the eyes, and a few irregular lateral rugae. Thorax but little broader than long, scarcely broader at the middle than near the front, its sides slightly curvate to beyond the middle and moderately narrowed behind; the base medially truncate, but feebly rounded near the sides, so that the angles appear obtuse, the apex slightly but widely emarginate; lateral margins, and channels, of equal width almost to the base, not perceptibly crenulate; its surface smooth or only obsoletely lineated, the dorsal groove distinct but not attaining the base or apex, basal fossae deep, well limited, and touching the sides and hind margin. Elytra oblong-oval, rather broader than thorax at the base; on each elytron there are 4 discoidal series of rather slender fine punctures, the 6th and 7th series are moderately large and rather coarser than the 5th or 8th; the marginal sculpture, too, is rather fine, and more or less duplicated, the apical irregular and coarser. Legs stout; external angles of the front pairs of tibiae slightly prominent, posterior pair simple. Antennae with the 5th and following articulations pubescent. Underside shining back; flank of prosternum moderately punctate and rugose; abdomen smooth, its last segment bipunctate at each side of the middle, at the extremity. The glossy, rather smooth surface, simple thoracic margins, and deep well-defined basal fossae, distinguish this from all the other species of moderate size. M. seriatum (2605) is perhaps the most nearly allied; its sculpture, however, is very different. ♂. Length, 20 mm.; brendth, 6½ mm. Bold Peak, Wakatipu; altitude, about 6,000 ft. A specimen was given to me by Mr. O'Connor, but its discoverer is Mr. H. Hamilton. 3167. Mecodema quoinense sp. nov. Elongate, slightly convex, moderately nitid; black, femora and basal joint of antennae piceo-rufous. Head, mandibles included, a sixth longer than thorax, but rather narrower, with numerous fine punctures behind the small prominent eyes; near these latter there are 3 or 4 curved striae, and some fine transverse ones in front. Labrum slightly rounded, quadripuncate only. Mandibles elongate, obliquely wrinkled, the left particularly. Thorax nearly a third broader than long, widest before the middle, slightly rounded there, gradually curvedly narrowed backwards, without any definite sinuation or contraction near the base, which is medially incurved, with obtuse angles; lateral margins not crenulate, rather narrow, only slightly expanded in front, the apex subtruncate; its sculpture consists of feeble transverse striae, short longitudinal ones in front and at the base, and a few slight punctiform marks near the front and the basal fossae, which are deep, but not large, and situated near the angles; the mesial groove is well marked. Elytra almost twice as long as broad, a little wider than the thorax, their sides gently and evenly curved, so that the apex is nearly as broad as the base; they are punctate-striate, rather finely on the disc; the striae nearest the sides are
deeper and more strongly and closely, yet not very coarsely, punctured; these become convergent, and do not reach the base; the 3rd and 5th interstices are a little broader than the others, the 5th at some distance from the base is split up by a finely punctured stria, the 7th is quadripunctate; the smooth space along each side is rather broad and convex; the marginal punctures are small; the sculpture near the apex becomes coarsely punctiform and irregular, but the margin, though fine, is quite distinct there. Legs rather thick; the external angle at the apex of the front tibiae is hardly at all prominent, that of the intermediate pair is moderately angulate. Antennae with the basal 4 joints smooth and glabrous, the others finely and closely punctate, but, in my specimen, only scantily pubescent. The shape of the thorax is somewhat similar to that of M. laeviceps and M. cognatum, but the elytral sculpture, rather thick legs, and reduction of labral punctures are good distinguishing features. ♂. J. Length, 25 mm.; breadth, 8 mm. Mount Quoin, Tararua Range; elevation, 3,900 ft. My specimen, somewhat damaged, was found by Mr. A. O'Connor, of Wellington, who sent it mounted on cardboard. 3168. Mecodema arcuatum sp. nov. Elongate, dull sooty black, legs, antennae, and palpi piceous. Head rather large, including the mandibles, as long as the thorax, forehead strongly longitudinally striate, more irregularly near the eyes; in line with these there are numerous distinct punctures; labrum curvate in front. Thorax cordate, apex evidently arcuate-emarginate, its sides not distinctly crenulate, curvedly narrowed towards the base but without any abrupt contraction there, lateral margins not unequally expanded, posterior angles obtuse; the disc with feeble transverse striae, but the basal fossae, which are moderately large and placed close to the angles, are more distinctly and irregularly wrinkled, the base is more or less punctate, the curvate frontal impression is well marked throughout and near the angles feebly punctate, the median groove is distinct; length and breadth about equal. Elytra slightly convex, twice as long as thorax, only a little broader, their sides gently rounded, about equally so near the base and apex; the sutural 4 striae on each elytron are only slightly impressed, and rather finely and distantly punctured on the middle, with plane interstices; the 3rd and 5th are little broader than the others; the 5th and 6th striae are rather more distinctly punctate, and the 7th interstice is somewhat carinate from the base towards the middle; the 7th and 8th striae are deeper and more coarsely but not very regularly punctured; the interval between the 8th stria and the side is smooth. Legs rather thick, like those of M. quoinense, the external angle of the posterior tibiae hardly at all prominent. Antennae pubescent from the 4th joint onwards. From all the other species, except the very different M. striatum (2600), this is distinguished by the more incurved thoracic apex. Castelnau's M. impressum is described as having a rather brilliant coppery hue, with the anterior angles of the thorax densely punctate, whilst M. lucidum. is larger. I do not think that this species will prove to be
identical with either of these. The elytral interstices are not flat in M. quoinense. ♀. Lenght, 23 mm., breadth, 7½ mm., Wellington. Mr. A. O'Connor. Unique. Group Anchomenidae. 3169. Ctenognathus simmondsi sp. nov. Ctenognathus Fairmair, Ann. 1843. Black, moderately nitid, femora infuscate, tibiae, tarsi, antennae, and palpi ferrunginous. Head oviform, constricted behind the prominent eyes, with a pair of setae near each of these, the frontal impressions elongate. Thorax of equal length and breadth, widest just before the middle, well rounded there strongly sinuate behind, but nearly straight, or extending slightly outwards, near the base, with rectangular, posterior angles, lateral margins reflexed throughout; basal fossae large, prolonged forwards as broad marginal channels almost to the apex, so that the disc appears to be on a the higher plane; the deep median groove becomes obsolete towards both extremities; the oblique frontal linear impressions are well marked, the transversal discoidal and the longitudinal basal wrinkles are feebly impressed. Elytra oblong-oval, with gradually and regularly rounded shoulders; they are obliquely narrowed but only slightly striae and scutellar striolae; interstices nearly plane, without perceptible punctures. Antennae elongate, reaching backwards beyond the middle femora. Tarsi elongate, the posterior feebly ridged and bisulcate above. Nearly related to the Southland. C. littorellus (2670), which, however, has convex, elytral interstices and different thoracic channels. In 1686, C. adamsi, the basal fossae are only prolonged as far as the middle of the sides, and the lateral rims are less reflexed. Lenght, 11 mm.; breath, 4½mm. Mount Quoin, near Wellington. Found at an altitude of 1,000 ft. by Mr. Hubert W. Simmonds, after whom it has been named. 3170. Tarastethus amplipennis sp. nov. Tarastethus Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 1003. Nitid, nigrescent, suture and margins of elytra slightly rufescent; femora yellow; tibiae, palpi, and antennae testaceous, the basal joint of these last always so, the following ones sometimes darker; mandibles and labrum piceo-rufous. Head impunctate, the elongate frontal impression and subocular groove at each side which a cariniform interval. Eyes large, finely faceted. Labrum almost truncate, with 6 setigerous punctures. Thorax about a third broader than long, widest near the middle, rounded there, moderately narrowed and slightly sinuate behind; lateral margins some-what expanded in front, so that the angles seem obtusely prominent; posterior angles sharply rectangular, usually projecting outwardly; disc moderately convex, nearly perfectly smooth, its central groove not attaining the base or apex; basal fossae large and deep, the interval distinctly punctured, a shallow oblique impression which extends to wards the middle, at each side, causes the area near the angle to appear explanate and elevated. Scutellum distinct. Elytra large and convex,
about a third broader than the thorax, with rather broad rounded shoulders; they are very distinctly and regularly striate, but the punctation of the striae is rather fine; each has a short scutellar stria; there is no subapical carina; there is a single puncture, placed before the middle, on the 3rd interstices. Underside glossy piceous, coxae reddish, the posterior trochanters testaceous. Mesosternum medially convex but not canaliculate, its flanks punctate. Abdomen impunctate, but with some shallow lateral impressions. The posterior tarsi are simple, but the 4th joint of the other pairs is distinctly longer than the third, with well-developed rather elongate lobes. In the male the basal four joints are slightly dilated, and of about equal width; the 2nd and 3rd are cordiform, but the sexual disparity is hardly perceptible. Var. T. labralis.—Labrum with minutely coriaceous sculpture, but without the least trace of setigerous punctures in front. Readily distinguishable by the subcordiform, regularly striated hind-body, with unipunctate interstices, but lacking the usual carinae. There is only one ocular seta, and that of the thorax is situated behind the middle of each side. Length, 6½–7 mm.; breadth, 2⅔–3 mm. Raurimu. I secured five specimens from under logs in January, 1910, and Captain H. S. Whitehorn, of the Geological Survey Department, during March, collected and forwarded a parcel of forest leaves out of which I picked another. These decayed leaves were gathered near the head of the Retaruke River, near the recently surveyed coalfield. 3171. Tarastethus phyllocharis sp. nov. Convex, glossy, piceo-niger; legs ferruginous; palpi, antennae, and tarsi fulvescent; mandibles and labrum pitchy red. Head smooth, the frontal impressions rather elongate and deep, so that the broad plica near each eye appears elevated; labrum incurved in front, with 6 setigerous punctures. Thorax a fourth broader than long, the middle widest, well rounded there, moderately sinuate-angustate behind, posterior angles rectangular; disc smooth and convex, the base slightly depressed, distinctly and rather closely punctate, the fossae about equidistant from the sides and middle but not sharply defined, the discoidal groove somewhat expanded behind. Elytra a fifth longer than broad, evidently broader than the thorax, their sides distinctly margined and more rounded at the base and apex than at the middle, the shoulders, however, are rather wider than the base of the thorax; they are seriate-punctate, the inner series, however, almost form striae, the sculpture becomes very much finer and more irregular behind, and the punctures outside the 4th series usually become obsolete near the base; the interstices are broad and plane, and the apical carinae are well developed. Underside shining; mesosternum convex and deeply channelled in the middle and punctate at the sides; metasternum broadly concave medially; abdomen impunctate, but with shallow foveiform impressions at each side, the terminal segment, at the extremity, has a pair of setigerous punctures on each side of the middle, where it is finely transversely wrinkled. The thorax is rather shorter and less deeply sinuate towards the base than in T. puncticollis (1799), and the whole sculpture differs, and, more-
over, the thoracic setae are absent, though the specimens are quite fiesh and uninjured. Length, 6 mm.; breadth, 3 mm. Erua, at an elevation of about 2,500 ft. Three were found by myself in January, 1910, and two by Mr. W. J. Guinness, railway stationmaster, in March, all amongst decaying leaves on the ground. Another was found near the base of Mount Ngauruhoe by Mr. Guinness; and one taken previously by myself at Raurimu, elevation 1,900 ft., has more strongly sculptured elytra than the others. 3172. Tarastethus lewisi sp. nov. Glossy, aeneo-niger, elytral margins and apices, the legs, antennae, and palpi testaceous, mandibles pitchy red. Head smooth, reddish in front, interocular impressions elongate, the space between each of these and the lateral groove somewhat elevated. Eyes large, not prominent, finely faceted. Thorax a fourth broader than long, widest near the middle, its sides distinctly margined, moderately rounded, slightly sinuously narrowed behind the middle, posterior angles rectangular; the anterior, though not prominent, are more distinct than usual, owing to the slight dilatation of the lateral margins there; disc moderately convex, smooth, its central sulcus does not attain the apex, the base has duplicate fossae near each side, and the outer one is separated from the lateral margin by a carina. Scutellum distinct, rather broad. Elytra oviform, a fifth longer than broad, widest near the middle, of the same width as thorax at the base, with reflexed margins and rather broad channels; they are moderately punctate-striate, the striae, however, do not reach the base, and, except the sutural pair, become indefinite towards the extremity, and those beyond the 4th are indistinct near the sides; 3rd interstices slightly broader than the contiguous ones and rather coarsely tripunctate, the apical carinae are well developed. Certain peculiarities are observable in this species. The labrum is remarkable, for in place of being subquadrate, and widely emarginate in front, it is quite conical, and bears an exserted central seta and a pair of finer ones at the sides. The maxillary palpi are finely setose. The inner emargination of the front tibiae is less distinct than usual, so also is the basal margin of the elytra. The surface of the front tarsi is more pubescent. There is only a single ocular seta, and that of the thorax appears to be absent. Length, 4½ mm.; breadth, 2½ mm. Greymouth. Described from a female sent by Mr. J. H. Lewis, whose name has been given to it 3173. Tarastethus cordipennis sp. nov. Cunvex, rather elongate, glossy, nigro-piceous, labrum and mandibles dark red; antennae, palpi, and tarsi testaceous, the legs rather darker. Head oviform, frontal impressions elongate, and with some fine punctures between them. Labrum quadrate. Eyes nearly flat, indistinctly faceted. Thorax apparently elongate, actually of equal length and breadth, lateral margins distinct, slightly thickened behind, it is moderately rounded at and before the middle, and distinctly sinuate behind, the base nevertheless is about as wide as the apex, with rectangular angles; the dorsal furrow does not extend to the apex or base, which latter is very distinctly punctured right across; the basal fossae are
situated between the middle and the sides, and, owing partly to the punctation, are not very definite. Elytra widest before the middle, a good deal attenuated posteriorly, with the lateral margins well developed to within a short distance of the apices; they are, relatively, strongly seriatepunctate; near the suture, however, they are striate and rather more finely punctured; the apical carinae are not very sharply elevated, and the space between the outer series of punctures and the sculptured marginal channel on each elytron is smooth. Underside shining black; abdomen uneven, with broadly depressed sutures between its segments, the terminal bipunctate at each side of the middle at the apex. The rather elongate contour, longish thorax, and the posteriorly attenuated cordiform hind-body are good discriminating characters. Length, 6 mm.; breadth, 2½ mm. Mount Quoin, Tararua Range. A single female, from Mr. H. W. Simmonds. Group Pogonidae. 3174. Oöpterus laevigatus sp. nov. Oopterus Guerin, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 54. Suboblong, slightly convex, nitid; castaneous, femora and elytral margins fulvescent; the tibiae, tarsi, antennae, and labrum more or less rufo-castaneous. Head smooth, the frontal impressions well marked and extending from the interantennal suture to the middle of the eyes, which are large and moderately convex. Thorax a seventh broader than long, widest at the middle, gently curvedly narrowed anteriorly, gradually, but scarcely sinuously, contracted behind, with rectangular but not acute posterior angles, base truncate, apex slightly incurved, lateral margins rather thin; basal fossae broad and well marked, each separated from the side by a distinct carina, the central groove hardly attains the apex, its whole surface impunctate, but with a few fine striae near the middle of the base. Scutellum subcordate, smooth. Elytra oblong-oval, a little wider than thorax at the base, not quite thrice its length, with broad lateral margins, which, however, become very narrow near the broadly rounded apices; on each elytron there are 4 slightly impressed, impunctate striae; these are obsolete near the base, the sutural alone reaches the apex; the apical plica is distinct, the base is tripunctate but the 3rd interstice is only very feebly so, the side is quadripunctate near the shoulder, the posterior punctures are less definite, there are none at all near the middle. Tibiae straight, the front pair nearly glabrous, the others finely setose. Tarsi with yellow setae above; the anterior with the basal joint dilated and oblong, the next cordiform, also dilated, yet hardly as broad, the inner angle of both slightly prolonged; 3rd and 4th cordate, evidently smaller than the 2nd, and consequently hardly at all expanded. In O. patulus (1145) the thorax is widest before the middle, and therefore subcordate, and its sculpture is different; the elytra are shorter and more oval, with fine yet quite perceptibly punctured striae, the 3rd interstices are tripunctate, and the coloration is altogether darker. ♂. Length, 6½ mm.; breadth, 2⅔ mm. Hastwell, near Napier. A single male, found by Mr. H. Suter. This genus was placed by Lacordaire in the Cnemacanthidae, by Bates in the Pogonidae.
Group Feronidae. 3175. Trichosternus wallacei sp. nov. Trichosternus Chaudoir, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 31. Oblong, slightly convex, moderately nitid; black, elytral margins faintly viridescent, legs and antennae rufo-piceous, tips of palpi rufescent. Head smooth, frontal foveaé elongate, with 2 setigerous punctures alongside each eye and the same number on the forehead; labrum transverse, feebly emarginate. Eyes prominent. Thorax subquadrate, a third broader than long, the apex widely incurved, base medially emarginate, lateral margins moderately thick; it is a little broader before the middle (in some examples hardly at all) than elsewhere, gently rounded towards the front, nearly straight behind, posterior angles exactly rectangular; the median sulcus does not reach the apex, and is slightly expanded behind; the basal fossae, situated between the middle and sides, are large, somewhat prolonged laterally, so that the space near each angle seems flattened. Scutellum striate at base. Elytra with dentiform shoulders, just perceptibly broader than thorax at the base, their sides slightly curvate, with well-developed margins, moderately sinuate-angustate near the extremity; their striae are well marked, and become deeper and wider towards the sides and apices, but are rather indefinitely punctured; interstices plane on the middle, convex near the extremity and sides, the 3rd and 5th generally slightly broader than those near the suture, the former tripunctate, the 7th with 5 punctures. Femora moderately slender; intermediate tibiae with slightly prominent hind angles; tarsi rather slender; the basal four joints of the anterior only moderately dilated. Underside glossy black, almost quite smooth; the apex of the terminal ventral segment quadripunctate in both sexes. Female.—Elytral striae very finely but rather more distinctly punctate than in the male. I have seen a dozen specimens; sometimes there are 4 punctures on the 3rd interstices and 1 on the 5rd, but otherwise they are homogeneous and vary but little in size. The only similar species is T. hanmerensis (2631). Length, 21–23 mm.; breadth, 8–8½ mm. Wairiri, Seaward Kaikouras. It is with pleasure that I name this species after its discoverer, Mr. W. L. Wallace. 3176. Pterostichus hamiltoni sp. nov. Pterostichus Bonelli, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 31. Suboblong, narrowed medially, only slightly convex, shining; black, the tibiae, tarsi, and antennae piceo-rufous, palpi paler. Head, including the prominent eyes, rather narrower than front of thorax, almost quite smooth, with elongate frontal impressions. Thorax widest at the middle, regularly rounded from the obtuse anterior angles to beyond the middle, and from thence considerably, and somewhat sinuously, narrowed towards the well-defined rectangular posterior angles; it is quite a third broader than long; the apex is deeply, the base slightly medially, incurved; the basal fossae are deep, rather elongate, distinctly separated from the sides and more widely from the middle, the mesial groove does not reach the apex, the surface is nearly smooth. Scutellum strongly atriate at the base. Elytra more than double the length of thorax, a good deal, yet gradually, narrowed towards the base, the
humeral margins thickened but not projecting, and not exceeding the thoracic angles in width; they are very evidently sinuate behind, the apices, nevertheless, are quite broad and only slightly rounded; they are finely and regularly punctate-striate, interstices plane on the disc, but becoming a little convex near the sides and extremity; the 3rd, 5th, and 7th are slightly broader than the others, the 3rd are tripunctate, and the 7th have about 6 rather large punctures. Underside shining black; the terminal ventral segment has a broad oblique depression extending from the base to the middle, at each side; the apical portion is a little depressed and distinctly longitudinally strigose, and is bipunctate at each side of the middle, at the extremity. There are 2 setigerous punctures near each eye, the same number on the forehead; there is one before the middle at each side of the thorax and another at the hind angle. This belongs to the section composed of Trichosternus-like species (see p. 986, Man. N.Z. Coleopt,), but after comparison with its numerous members I fail to find any exactly like it. The unusual sculpture of the last abdominal segment is a good guide to discrimination. ♀. Length, 25 mm.; breadth, 8½ mm. Bold Peak, Wakatipu; elevation, about 6,000 ft. A single female, named in honour of Mr. H. Hamilton, its finder, whose recent collecting tours have added considerably to our knowledge of the coleopterous fauna of the mountainous regions of the South Island. Group Anisodactylidae. 3177. Allocinopus smithi sp. nov. Allocinopus Broun, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, vol. 11, p. 607. Oblong, slightly convex, moderately nitid; rufo-piceous, lateral margins of thorax and elytra more rufescent, labrum and mandibles dark red; the legs and antennae fusco-rufous, but with the basal two joints of these latter and the palpi fulvescent. Head short and broad, yet rather narrower than the thorax, smooth, with a pair of shallow interantennal foveae; epistome longitudinally striate, and, near each front angle, with a setigerous puncture; there is another one near the back of each eye. Thorax about a third broader than long, its apex widely but not deeply incurved, so that the angles appear slightly prominent; base subtruncate and finely margined; it is a little wider before the middle than elsewhere, moderately rounded there, and rather gradually narrowed towards the rectangular but not acute posterior angles; the lateral margins are well developed, and the channels inside these, through narrow, are a little widened in front; the basal fossae, situated between the middle and sides, are shallow and indefinite, and outside these the surface is slightly flattened, the median groove extends from the basal margin but does not reach the apex, there is no other distinct sculpture. Elytra nearly twice as long as broad, rather wider than thorax at the base, their sides distinctly margined and nearly straight, but widely sinuated and considerably narrowed towards the extremity; their impunctate striae, with the exception of the two sutural, which do not reach the basal margin, are well marked throughout, the short scutellar striae also are distinct; interstices simple and nearly plane, the lateral punctiform impressions are not coarse or deep. Legs stout, the tibiae fringed inwardly with fine setae, the intermediate with spiniform setae externally; tarsi finely setose above.
Underside shining, the head and breast pitchy red, abdomen mgropiceous. Metasternum indistinctly granulate. Terminal ventral segment obliquely narrowed towards the extremity, which is subacuminate, with a single setigerous puncture there at each side of the middle. The front and middle tarsi bear elongate setae along their soles, and a spiniform one at the side of the basal four joints. Male.—Prosternal process with numerous setae at the tip. Metasternum short, with minute granules and setae in the middle. Basal ventral segment at the base, in the middle, finely sculptured and minutely setose, the terminal one distinctly sinuate near the extremity, angulate at the commencement of the sinuosities, the apex itself obtusely rounded and with a pair of setigerous punctures there. ♀. Length, 8 mm.; breadth, 3 mm Ratapihipihi Forest, Taranaki. A pair of mutilated specimens were found by Mr. W. W. Smith, whose name has been attached to this species. The discovery of the male is important, as without it I had been unable to determine the genus to which other species belonged. Obs.—This and the following species will not, I think, remain permanently with Allocinopus, as they exhibit certain differences. In both sexes the prosternal process is setigerous. The terminal articulations of the palpi are acute at the extremity instead of being obtuse or subtruncate; the maxillary are finely setose, and the penultimate joint is shorter than the terminal. The rigid setae attached to the mentum are very elongate, so also are the pair at the apex of the ligula. The soles of the male tarsi appear to be without distinct sponge-like vestiture, but my specimen having lost one foot, and as the other is not perfectly free from sappy matter, I do not feel sure on this point. 3178. Allocinopus castaneus sp. nov. Oblong, moderately shining; head and thorax dark castaneous; antennae, legs, and elytra rufo-castaneous, these last paler along the sides near the apices; labrum and mandibles piceo-rufous, palpi fulvescent. In most respects similar to A. smithi. The tips of the terminal joints of the palpi are more pointed, and the 2nd joint of the maxillary more curvate. The forehead is less evidently striate. The anterior angles of the thorax, owing to the very slight apical incurvature, are less prominent, its lateral margins are thinner, and the basal fossae rather more distinct and elongate. The elytra are somewhat more oviform and less acuminate posteriorly. The seta at each side of thorax is placed before the middle, as in the preceding and following species. Underside wholly piceo-rufous. Prosternal setae numerous, but not coarse. Terminal ventral segment widely sinuate towards the extremity, which is broadly rounded, instead of being subacuminate, as in the preceding species, it is similarly bisetose. ♀. Length, 7–7½ mm.; breadth, 2½–2¾ mm. Maketu, Hunua Range. Both specimens are females, and were found about twenty years ago, at long intervals, during collecting-tours. 3179. Allocinopus angustulus sp. nov. Castaneo-rufous, shining; the legs, palpi, and basal articulations of antennae fulvescent; remaining joints of these last darker and opaque; epistome, labrum, and mandibles reddish, these last, however, are nigrescent at the extremity.
Head nearly quite smooth. Thorax about a fourth broader than long, not perfectly smooth, having some obsolete longitudinal linear impressions in front and transverse ones on the disc; the mesial sulcus nearly attains the apex; there are no basal fossae, only a broad oblique impression of each side near the angle; its sides are rather slightly, almost regularly rounded, yet rather more straightly narrowed towards the subrectangular basal angles. Elytra with well-marked impunctate striae and short scutellar grooves; they are rather wider than thorax at the base, and a good deal, though gradually, narrowed behind the posterior femora, with only very slight subapical sinuosities. When compared with A. smithi this is seen to be narrower and flatter. The front of the thorax is a little more incurved, so that its angles seem more prominent, but the posterior angles are more obtuse, and the base slightly emarginate medially. The elytra appear to be narrower and longer, and are not at all abruptly narrowed near the extremity; the dorsum is nearly flat, but the sutural region is a little elevated behind. ♀. Length, 8 mm.; breadth, 2½ mm. Forty-mile Bush, near Napier. A single female, under the number 352, from Mr. H. Suter, had to be set aside for many years until the recent discovery of the male of A. smithi. 3180. Zabronothus major sp. nov. Zabronothus Broun, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 1327. Oblong-oval, gradually narrowed anteriorly, slightly convex, moderately shining, piceo-niger; legs, mandibles, and labrum pitchy red, the antennae, palpi, and tarsi paler. Head narrower than thorax, smooth, frontal impressions quite obsolete. Thorax incurved at apex, with obtuse angles, the width at the base nearly a third more than the length in the middle; its sides distinctly margined, nearly straight for two-thirds of the length, being only very slightly and gradually narrowed anteriorly, but near the front rather more curvedly contracted; base medially emarginate and resting on the elytra, with obtusely rectangular angles; the mesial groove starts from the basal margin but does not reach the apex, basal impressions feeble and elongate, placed between the middle and sides. Scutellum triangular. Elytra scarcely any broader than the thorax at the base, humeral angles thickened and projecting outwardly, only very slightly, however; they are a little wider at and behind the middle, and considerably though not abruptly narrowed near the extremity; their striae are simple, narrow, and sharply marked throughout, and become deeper behind; interstices broad and plane; marginal punctures almost absent near the middle. There is a single setigerous puncture at each side of the thorax before the middle, and another at each hind angle, a pair alongside each eye and on the edge of the forehead, and twice that number at the extremity of the last ventral segment. Antennae thickly covered with yellow pubescence, and a few slender setae, from the 4th joint onwards, the basal three glabrous; they extend backwards to the shoulders. Labrum transverse. Palpi with acuminate terminal articulations. Eyes moderately large, but not prominent. Legs robust; tibiae with spiniform setae externally, the posterior flexuous.
Considerably larger than the typical species (2333). The general contour is almost uninterrupted from the posterior femora to the front of thorax, which in shape differs from that of the other species. ♀. Length, 11 mm.; breadth, 4½ mm Broken River, Canterbury. Described from a single female found by Mr. J. H. Lewis, who also secured the male, which, however, I have not seen. 3181. Zabronothus aphelus sp. nov. Oblong, slightly convex, moderately nitid; black, legs rufo-castaneous, antennae, palpi, and tarsi of a lighter hue Head subovate, evidently narrower than thorax, without definite frontal impressions. Labrum rufescent, transversely quadrate. Thorax slightly broader than long, apex widely incurved, with obtuse angles; its sides finely margined, gently rounded, very feebly sinuate behind, posterior angles rectangular but not acute, the base widely emarginate and resting on the elytra; the central groove does not attain either the base or apex; the basal fossae are sulciform, only moderately impressed, and are situated midway between the middle and sides; the surface is not perfectly smooth, but there is no obvious sculpture. Elytra oblong-oval, more than double the length of the thorax, and, owing to the slightly dentiform shoulders, rather wider than it is at the base; their sides are finely margined and a little curved; near the extremity they are somewhat rufescent, but scarcely at all sinuate; on each elytron there are 7 impunctate sharply marked dorsal striae; these extend from the basal margin to the apex; interstices simple, broad and plane; the serial punctures between the lateral margin and the 8th stria are nearly absent at the middle. Manifestly smaller than the other species, most nearly approximated to Z. oblongus (3025), but narrower, the thorax less transversely quadrate, with more definite posterior angles, more narrowed in front, and with better-marked basal foveae. Length, 6½ mm.; breadth, 2½ mm. Wairiri, Kaikoura. A single damaged male, found by Mr. W. L. Wallace. Group Aleocharidae 3182. Aphytopus porosus sp. nov. Aphytopus Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 1024. Elongate, moderately nitid; pubescence greyish, fine but distinct, thicker on the elytra than it is elsewhere; head and thorax pale fuscorufous, elytra light brown, abdomen dark fuscous, legs and basal five' joints of antennae testaceous. Head rather broad, not perceptibly narrower than thorax, finely yet distinctly but not closely punctate. Eyes large, not prominent. Thorax of equal length and breadth, about a third narrower than the elytra, its base rounded, the sides nearly straight; it is moderately closely and distinctly punctured, but without other impressions. Elytra nearly twice the length of thorax, their shoulders rounded, the punctation a little coarser but more distant than that of the thorax. Hind-body elongate, rather finely and distantly sculptured, 5th segment smooth on the middle. Antennae distinctly pubescent; 2nd joint elongate but stout, 3rd more than half the length of 2nd, with a slender basal stalk; joints 4–8
slightly dilated; 9th and 10th larger, transverse; 11th oviform, not as long as the preceding two combined. Evidently similar to the typical species (1835), darker, the head not distinctly narrower than the thorax, which is not dull, and has no discoidal impressions. The tarsal structure is precisely alike in both species. Length, nearly 2 mm.; breadth, ½ mm. Hunua Range, near Drury. I found one amongst decaying leaves on the ground. 3183. Aphytopus granifer sp. nov. Fuscous, slightly shining, with distinct suberect greyish pubescence, the legs and basal joint only of the antennae testaceous. Head about as broad as thorax, rather finely but not closely punctured. Thorax narrower than elytra; its sides nearly straight, but somewhat contracted in front, where it is narrower than the head; it is slightly bi-impressed longitudinally from the base to beyond the middle; its punctation is close and moderately coarse. Elytra oblong, hardly double the length of thorax, shoulders a little rounded, the base incurved so as to be adapted to that of the thorax; they are relatively coarsely but not deeply or closely punctated. Hind-body elongate, with very fine, distant, granular sculpture, which, however, is quite definite on the basal segment. Antennae elongate, finely pubescent, their 2nd joint as long as the 1st and nearly as stout, joints 3–6 about equal, oblong, 7th and 8th a little shorter and broader, 9th and 10th rather broader, 11th about as long as the preceding two together. The granulation of the hind-body at once distinguishes this from the foregoing species. The 3rd antennal joint is not stalk-like at the base, and the terminal articulation seems unusually large. The thoracic sculpture accords with the description of the type of the genus, as is also the case regarding the peculiar tarsal structure. Length, 2½ mm.; breadth, ½ mm. Erua, near Waimarino Plains; elevation, 2,400 ft. Two specimens picked out of leaf-mould which Mr. W. J. Guinness collected for me in April, 1910. 3184. Aphytopus guinnessi sp. nov. Shining, castaneous, legs and basal two joints of antennae testaceous, pubescence greyish. Head broader than front of thorax, finely but not closely punctured. Thorax seemingly rather longer than broad, curvedly narrowed in front, the base curvate, without definite discoidal impressions, distinctly punctate, not quite as closely on the middle as at the sides. Elytra oblong, evidently broader than thorax, less so at the base, the shoulders being rounded; they are more distantly and less definitely sculptured than the thorax. Hind-body elongate, slightly rufescent at the base, dark fuscous behind, with fine, distant, ill-defined sculpture, not granulate. Antennae elongate, 2nd joint quite as long as the 1st and nearly as stout, 3rd about as long as the 4th but more slender at the base, 4–7 cblong, 8th slightly shorter and thicker than 7th but not quite as broad as either of the following two, 11th nearly as long as the 9th and 10th conjointly. Differentiated by the finer sculpture. Length, 2½ mm.; breadth, quite ½ mm.
Mount Ngauruhoe. Named in honour of Mr. W. J. Gumness, who, in March, 1910, gathered a bagful of decaying leaves, out of which I picked a specimen of this, as well as some other interesting species. 3185. Calodera wallacei sp. nov. Calodera Mannerheim, Lacord. Hist. des Ins. Coleopt., tom. 2, p. 36. Elongate, shining, rufescent, hind-body rufo-fuscous but with its terminal segment as well as the legs fusco-testaceous, tarsi and palpi yellow, antennae fulvescent; sparingly clothed with pale flavescent hairs, these are more slender on the anterior parts of the body than on the abdomen. Head rather larger than thorax, its sides rounded, without perceptible punctation. Eyes large, rather flat. Thorax oviform, of about equal length and breadth, widest at the middle, the base finely margined and slightly rounded, with nearly rectangular angles; the surface minutely, remotely, and indistinctly punctate; at the middle of the base there is a large fossa, from this a shallow linear impression proceeds towards the apex, in some aspects it seems a well-marked groove, in others obsolete. Elytra subquadrate, about a third broader than thorax, distinctly yet rather distantly punctured, with fine sutural striae. Hind-body half of the whole length, parallel, a little narrower than the elytra, its basal four segments strongly margined, each with transverse series of punctiform impressions at the base, 5th minutely and distantly punctured and subtruncate behind. Legs slender, with fine setae, tibiae straight. Antennae distinctly pubescent, elongate, gradually thickened from the 3rd joint onwards, 2nd and 3rd almost equally elongate but shorter than the 1st, 4th and 5th subquadrate, 7–10 strongly transverse, 11th conical. C. sericophora (2688) makes the nearest approach in facies, but its head is narrower and less rounded, the eyes are a trifle more prominent, the thoracic groove is deep throughout, and the 3rd antennal joint is shorter. Length, 3½ mm.; breadth, ⅔ mm. Wairiri, Kaikoura. Two examples found by Mr. W. L. Wallace, whose name is attached to it. 3186. Calodera fultoni sp. nov. Nitid, castaneo-rufous, labrum, palpi, and tarsi paler; pubescence elongate and slender, flavescent, more scanty on the head and thorax than elsewhere. Head nearly as large as the thorax, rounded behind the slightly convex eyes, very distinctly and moderately closely punctate; clypeus membranous and pallid. Thorax oviform, as long as broad, its sides rounded, a little wider before the middle than behind, the base finely margined and feebly curved, with obtuse angles; its punctation is like that of the head, only slightly finer, the dorsal furrow is distinct and more expanded near the base than in front. Scutellum closely punctate. Elytra subquadrate, broader than the thorax, each with a deep apical sinuosity near the side; with fine sutural striae, their sculpture not quite as close or definite as that of the thorax. Hind-body parallel, narrower than the wing-cases, about as long as the rest of the body, more or less distinctly but not closely punctured, its segments of about
equal length, the 5th truncate at the apex, 6th rounded and paler. Legs elongate, finely setose, tibiae straight. Antennae nearly as long as the head and thorax, with slender elongate pubescence, 3rd joint of about the same length as the 1st or 2nd, 4th subquadrate, joints 5–10 become more transverse, 11th conical. In some respects like C. diversa (2690); the body and legs more slender, more uniformly coloured, and the elytra without the dense silky yellow pubescence. Length, 4–4½ mm.; breadth, ⅔ mm. Taieri, Otago. Three examples from Mr. S. W. Fulton. A specimen, along with some other species, sent to M. Albert Fauvel, of Caen, many years ago was named as above, but, so far as I can ascertain, has remained undescribed. 3187. Myrmecopora funesta sp. nov. Myrmecopora Saulcy, Ann. France, 1864, p. 429. Subopaque, nigrescent, legs and antennae fuscous, mandibles rufescent; head, thorax, and elytra with dense, excessively minute, somewhat coriaceous sculpture; pubescence close, but easily brushed off, greyish, rather short and slender, longer and coarser on the abdomen. Head about as large as the thorax, subquadrate, posterior angles rounded, with some minute punctures. Clypeus membranous, but not pallid. Labrum transverse, truncate in front. Mandibles thick, curvate and acute at the extremity, with a median inner denticle. Eyes moderately large, longitudinally oval, slightly convex. Maxillary palpi long and stout, penultimate joint thickly pubescent, the terminal aciculate and rather small. Thorax quadrate, rather broader than long, with obliquely rounded anterior angles; the base margined and slightly rounded, with nearly rectangular angles; a more or less evident central groove extends from the apex to the basal fovea. Scutellum triangular. Elytra nearly twice as long and broad as the thorax, quadrate, their apices obliquely curvate towards the suture; with fine sutural striae, somewhat depressed behind the scutellum. Hind-body subparallel, rather narrower than elytra at the base, the basal five segments of about equal length, very finely distantly and indistinctly punctured, 6th segment narrower than 5th, 7th obconical, as broad as the 6th at the base. Underside opaque, nigrescent, densely and very finely sculptured, thickly covered with slender grey pubescence. Antennae elongate, reaching backwards nearly as far as the intermediate femora, distinctly pubescent, their basal three joints equally long, joints 4–10 very gradually thickened and abbreviated, the 10th, however, is not perceptibly transverse, 11th oblong-oval, about as long as the obconical 9th and 10th combined. In M. Fauvel's description* Hist. nat. les Staphylinides de l'Australie et de la Polynésie, 1879. p. 118. of the Australian M. senilis, to which M. funesta is closely allied, the frontal pubescence is stated to be of a greenish hue, the thorax not at all transverse, and the basal dorsal segments 2–5 subcarinate along the middle. These characters of themselves are enough for specific discrimination. Length, 3⅔ mm.; breadth, 1 mm. Broken River, Canterbury. Discovered by Mr J. H. Lewis, in December, 1907.
188. Myrmecopora granulata sp. nov. Nitid, quite black, legs fuscous, tarsi rufo-fuscous; elytra with very short suberect greyish pubescence; other parts, the hind-body especially, with very few elongate suberect hairs. Head, in line with the eyes, quite as broad as the thorax, rounded behind, its narrow anterior portion as long as the basal; its punctation rather shallow yet quite distinct, finer and more distant near the antennae. Thorax fully as long as broad, its apical portion, about a third of the whole length, obliquely narrowed so that the front is just about a third of the width of the head; the median basal fossa is well marked, but the longitudinal impression proceeding from it does not attain the apex; it is minutely and distantly punctured. Elytra sub-oblong, not quite as broad as long, nearly double the length and breadth of the thorax, their punctation close and distinct, rather shallow, and becoming finer and more distant near the sides and base, with fine sutural striae. Hind-body glossy, nearly twice the length of the wing-cases, hardly as wide as they are; basal four segments almost equal, transversely impressed at the base; the first three with indistinct granular sculpture, the granules on the 4th quite definite, on the 5th they are conspicuous, the 6th is retracted in my specimen, its apex is medially emarginate and has granular sculpture. Antennae elongate, attaining the middle femora, thickly pubescent, 2nd joint elongate yet rather shorter than the 1st or 3rd, joints 4–10 successively though only slightly shortened, the 10th, nevertheless, is nearly twice as long as broad; these 7 articulations are elongate-obconical, and therefore appear subserrate; 11th elongate-oval, rather larger than the 10th. This, as regards the shape of the thorax, more nearly resembles the unique Australian species so far as can be judged by description alone, but there the likeness ends. The distinct punctation of the head and elytra is very different, whilst the remarkable sculpture of the 5th abdominal segment is very distinctive. M. fugax, belonging to Sardinia and Palestine, I have not seen. M. granulata is nearly twice the size of M. senilis. Length, 6 mm.; breadth, 1½ mm. Broken River. A solitary individual sent to me by Mr. J. H. Lewis. Group Staphylinidae. 3189. Quedius eruensis sp. nov. Quedius Stephens, Lacord. Hist. des Ins. Coleopt., tom. 2, p. 84. Narrow, elongate, head and thorax shining black and slightly bronzed, elytra and hind-body fuscous, the latter often blackish and iridescent; the femora, anterior tibiae, and basal three joints of antennae fusco-rufous or fulvescent; remaining joints dull fuscous; mandibles rufous. Head oval, rather narrower than thorax, bipunctate behind and also in line with the inner margin of the eyes, and with a smaller setigerous puncture near the front of each eye. Clypeus membranous, not pallid. Labrum deeply emarginate in front. Eyes large, not prominent. Mandibles short. Thorax rather broader than long, gently narrowed anteriorly, posterior angles broadly rounded; with 8 more or less distinct punctures before the middle, and a like number close to the base, but only unipunctate at the sides. Scutellum triangular. Elytra short,
nearly twice as broad as long, then apices oblique towards the suture; they are closely sculptured and covered with yellowish pubescence. Hind-body elongate, 6th segment broadly rounded behind, terminal styles piceo-rufous, the punctation and vestiture resembling those of the wing-cases. Underside nitid, finely pubescent and punctate, abdomen varying from violaceous to fuscous Anterior tarsi of the male strongly dilated. Antennae densely pubescent from their 4th joint onwards, 2nd as long as 3rd, 10th slightly oblong. Like Q. aeneiventris (3035), darker, the hind-body especially, and never with any brassy lustre. Length, 6–7 mm.; breadth, quite I mm. Erua. Found by myself in January, 1910; also amongst dead leaves collected by Mr. W. J. Guinness in March and April. 3190. Quedius xenophaenus sp. nov. Elongate, not parallel, nitid; head, thorax, and legs rufo-castaneous, the elytra and hind-body fuscous, the latter somewhat violaceous, antennae infuscate, their basal four joints paler. Head subquadrate, evenly convex, narrower than thorax, with a pair of minute shallow punctures behind. Eyes rotundate, not prominent, rather small, situated at the sides near the front, with distinct facets. Mandibles moderately elongate, falciform, the right with a large acute inner tooth behind the middle, the left with 4 or 5 denticles. Thorax a third broader than long, gently narrowed towards the truncate apex, with slender lateral margins, posterior angles obtuse but not broadly rounded, with a pair of feebly impressed minute frontal punctures. Scutellum exactly triangular, smooth. Elytra, in the middle, quite twice as broad as long, apices oblique towards the suture, moderately finely and closely sculptured, sparingly clothed with short cinereous pubescence. Hind-body elongate, gradually attenuate posteriorly, with slight elongate impressions or punctures, terminal styles rufo-piceous, its vestiture depressed, elongate and slender, of an ashy colour. Antennae pubescent, their 2nd joint rather shorter than 3rd or 4th. Forehead truncate between the antennae. Clypeus short and vertical, membranous. Labrum large, testaceous, with 3 frontal notches, so as to be medially bidentate, and bearing some elongate setae. Tarsi pentamerous, basal joints of the anterior only moderately dilated. Of peculiar aspect, head particularly. Length, 6 mm.; breadth, 1½ mm. Waimarino. Unique. Found in January. 1910, at an altitude of 2,700 ft Group Pederidae. 3191. Lithocharis longipennis sp. nov. Lithocharis Lacordaire, Hist. des Ins. Coleopt., tom. 2, p. 94. Subdepressed, elongate, nitid; hind-body clothed with elongate, suberect, infuscate hairs; the rest of the body very scantily pubescent; head and thorax nigrescent; elytra, legs, and antennae castaneous; tarsi and palpi somewhat fulvescent; mandibles reddish; abdomen dark fuscous. Head oviform and, including the mandibles, a third longer than broad, the forehead truncate in front, with moderately elevated rufescent antennal tubercles; its punctation distinct, almost coarse, but nowhere very close, in front of the middle there is an obsolete longitudinal im-
pression. Thorax oblong, its length nearly double the breadth, curvedly narrowed in front, its sides nearly straight, posterior angles rounded; it is smooth along the middle, with a shallow linear impression which does not reach the apex; its punctation is a little finer than that of the head, and subseriate near the middle. Elytra oblong, a third longer than the thorax, rather broader than it is; apices obliquely truncate towards the suture, which is sharply defined but without definite striae; their sculpture is rather shallow and subseriate. Hind-body parallel, rather longer but not broader than the wing-cases, 5th segment rather longer than the others, the 6th much smaller and paler, its sculpture indefinite, subgranular. Antennae elongate, filiform, pubescent; basal joint stout, not much shorter than the following two combined, 2nd shorter than the elongate 3rd, joints 4–10 evidently longer than broad, the terminal elongate-oval, subacuminate, hardly larger than the penultimate. Maxillary palpi stout, hairy, their 3rd joint gradually incrassate towards the extremity, the terminal minute. Labrum fusco-rufous, large, deeply triangularly impressed in the middle. Legs elongate, anterior femora thick; tibiae finely setose, the posterior thickened near the extremity; front tarsi with strongly dilated basal joints, which, taken together, hardly exceed the slender terminal joint in length. This species is chiefly remarkable for its elongated thorax and elytra. ♂. Length, 7 mm; breadth, 1⅓ mm. Westport. Commander J. J. Walker, R.N., before he left New Zealand gave me a specimen, marked 15. Another from Mr. G. V. Hudson, under the number 254, measures 5 mm. by 1 mm., but otherwise accords almost exactly with the above description. 3192. Dimerus whitehorni sp. nov. Dimerus Fauvel. Slender, elongate, slightly transversely convex, nitid; rufescent, legs paler, the antennae, palpi, mandibles, and tarsi flavescent. Head large, somewhat rounded, broader than thorax, abruptly contiacted behind, finely and distantly punctured. Thorax nearly twice as long as broad, widest near the front, moderately rounded there, gradually narrowed backwards, base and apex subtruncate; its surface densely and minutely sculptured, with a few distinct remote punctures and an elongate central fovea. Elytra very short, widest behind, much curvedly narrowed towards the base, which is no broader than that of the thorax, their apices obliquely truncate towards the suture; they are relatively coarsely but not closely punctate, and bear some depressed greyish hairs. Hind-body elongate, parallel, quite half of the whole length, basal segment as long as the elytra, each of the following four slightly narrowed towards the base, the 6th segment transversely quadrate, 7th obconical; the pubescence is pale-yellowish, and the punctation is moderately coarse, but not close. Underside shining, rufo-castaneous, moderately coarsely punctured, clothed with distinct yellowish hairs. Prosternum with its flanks distinctly marked off by oblique sutures, the coxae situated at its base. Mesosternum longer than metasternum. Eyes longitudinal, occupying quite half of the whole sides of the head, moderately prominent, with coarse facets. Mandibles as long as the head, falciform, with a very elongate median tooth on the inner side of each. Maxillary palpi not very much shorter than the antennae, the basal joint slender and elongate, the terminal large, elongate-ovate.
Antennae inserted on the sides of the forehead at some distance from the eyes, 10-articulate; basal joint stout and nearly the length of the following two combined, 2nd slightly shorter than 3rd, 6th a little larger than 5th, 7th moniliform and rather smaller than adjoining ones, 9th abruptly enlarged, subquadrate, 10th' longer, conical. Legs elongate, tibiae unarmed; tarsi slender, pentamerous. Length, 2 mm.; breadth, ⅓ mm. Retaruke, near Erua. Four individuals of this extremely slender but interesting beetle were found amongst leaf-mould collected for me in March, 1910, by Captain H. S. Whitehorn, in whose honour it has been named. Obs.—Many years ago I sent a specimen of the first species I had found to M. Albert Fauvel, of Caen, one of the greatest European authorities on Staphylinidae, who named it Dimerus brouni. It evidently represented a new genus, but I have been unable to obtain its description. The name Dimerus has now been used for one of the Pselaphidae by Fiori, and a copy of the diagnosis published in Atti Soc. dei Naturalisti di Modena, 1899, vol. 32, p. 103, is now in my possession, having been written for me by Mr. C. O. Waterhouse at the British Museum. Group Osoriidae. 3193. Holotrochus setigerus sp. nov. Holotrochus Erichson, Lacord. Hist, des Ins. Coleopt., tom. 2, p. 113. Cylindrical, shining; nigrescent; posterior angles of thorax, the labrum, legs, and antennae rufous; sparingly clothed with suberect, slender, yellowish setae. Head narrower than thorax, with distinct, remote punctures. Eyes minute. Thorax rather broader than long, gradually narrowed anteriorly, irregularly, moderately coarsely and distantly punctate. Elytra twice as broad as long, with a basal impression near each side, their sculpture nearly the same as that of the thorax. Hind-body elongate, distinctly and distantly punctured, 5th segment largest, 7th bispinose at the extremity. Tibiae straight, the anterior with about 6 minute spines along the outside, intermediate with more, posterior with 2 or 3 only. Antennae with the 3rd joint rather longer than 2nd, 4th distinctly smaller than 5th, 10th about as long as the conical terminal joint. Easily recognized by the rather coarse irregular punctation and suberect setae. Length, 3½ mm.; breadth, 1 mm. Greymouth. I am indebted to Mr. J. H. Lewis for a specimen. Obs.—One description-I have been unable to get, so it is just possible that the missing one, Dr. Eppelsheim's H. brachypterus, may prove to be identical with H. setigerus. Group Oxytelidae. 3194. Bledius bidentifrons sp. nov. Bledius Leach, Lacord. Hist. des Ins. Coleopt., tom. 2, p. 114. Elongate, narrow, nigrescent; head, thorax, and elytra rather dull, with greyish setae, those on the elytra suberect and much shorter than the others; hind-body glossy black, and bearing numerous elongate,
conspicuous, flavescent hairs; antennae and legs somewhat infuscate, the tarsi and posterior tibiae testaceous. Head prolonged and much narrowed anteriorly, with a denticle near each eye just over the point of antennal insertion; it is densely and minutely subgranulate, and, if carefully examined, some fine scattered punctures may be seen. Eyes transversely oval, convex, and very prominent, with coarse facets. Thorax cordiform, rather broader than long, widely emarginate in front, so that the angles seem slightly prominent, its sides moderately rounded near the front, very much so towards the base, so that there is hardly any trace of posterior angles; its sculpture is like that of the head, along the middle there is a glabrous indistinctly marked line. Elytra not closely applied to the thorax, rather longer than it is, subquadrate, with broadly curved apices; their punctation moderately close, rather shallow, and not very distinct. Hind-body nearly double the length of, but quite perceptibly narrower than, the wing-cases, strongly margined laterally as far as the 5th segment, with finely transversely strigose or rugose sculpture; the 6th segment widely, yet slightly, incurved behind; 7th short, rounded; these last with a few fine punctures. Legs finely setose; tibiae straight, not incrassate; the anterior with 8 or 10 slender spines along the outside, the lower ones most distinct, the second series I fail to detect with any degree of certainty; intermediate with double series of about 5, the posterior tibiae longer than the others, with slender spines below the middle. Tarsi slender, the terminal joint of the hind pair twice the length of the basal two combined. Antennae geniculate, inserted below the sides of the forehead, finely pubescent; basal joint stout, about half of the entire length; 2nd thicker than 3rd, the 6th rather smaller than adjoining ones; joints 7–9 laxly articulated and broader than preceding ones, 11th narrower than 10th and closely adapted to it. Maxillary palpi stout, penultimate joint hairy and rather large, the terminal aciculate, but quite easily seen. Mandibles porrect, elongate, rufescent, slightly curved towards the extremity, with a small tooth on the inside before the middle. Length, 4 mm.; breadth, 1 mm. Wanganui Beach. Described from a refractory alcoholic specimen forwarded by Professor Chilton, but found by Dr. L. Cockayne. It is no doubt a female, and is the first of this genus discovered in New Zealand. In all the European and Australian species in my possession the head and thorax of the males are furnished with more or less distinct horns. Group Pselaphidae. 3195. Sagola monticola sp. nov. Sagola Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 134. Subdepressed, elongate, nitid; pubescence yellowish, slender, and elongate, intermingled with longer erect hairs on the elytra and hind-body; head and thorax red; elytra, legs, antennae, and palpi fulves-cent; hind-body rufo-castaneous; tarsi yellow Head trigonal, dilated and prominent laterally behind so as to be as broad there as the middle of thorax, the median channel extends from the antennal tubercles to the back, where it becomes linear, and there is a narrow basal fovea at each side of-it, there, are no distinct punctures.
Eyes evidently prominent. Thorax of about equal length and breadth, widest and strongly rounded just before the middle; obliquely narrowed in front, where it is only half the width of the head, with a deep fovea at each side extending from behind the middle to the basal margin, this part therefore is much contracted; the dorsal fovea behind the centre, though large, is not transverse, there is a basal puncture at each side of it. Elytra nearly twice the length of the thorax, gradually narrowed towards yet broader at the base than the thorax, slightly curredly narrowed behind; sutural striae well marked; the intrahumeral impressions consist each of a basal puncture and a more elongated fovea. Hind-body a third longer than the elytra, indistinctly punctate; the basal three segments broadly margined and of about equal length; the terminal ones, combined, obconical and acuminate, and much paler. Legs elongate, simple; 2nd tarsal joint distinctly prolonged underneath. Antennae elongate; basal joint reddish, cylindric, almost as long as the following two together; 3rd longer than broad, but distinctly narrower than the adjoining ones; 4th and 5th equal, longer than broad; 6th slightly shorter; 7th and 8th truncate at the base, a little narrowed apically; 9th and 10th transversely quadrate; 11th conical and acuminate. When placed alongside S. eminens (2724) this species is seen to be less robust, the head is not quite truncate at the base, its hind angles are less prolonged outwardly and are slightly deflexed, the basal foveae are smaller, but the eyes are more prominent; the thorax is narrower and the elytra longer, and, moreover, the dilated hind angles of the head are not concave underneath. Female.—Genae nearly straight behind the eyes, with obtuse, but not at all dilated, posterior angles; lighter in colour, and with more prominent eyes than the same sex of 2724; the sides of the thorax are less dilated before the middle, and the legs are more slender. On the underside of the head there is a well-marked transverse depression. Length, 2½ mm.; breadth, ⅔ mm. Mount Ngauruhoe. A single male and two females found amongst decayed leaves which were gathered for me by Mr. W. J. Guinness. Obs.—2724 was discovered at Tarukenga, near Rotorua, and I found one male at Waimarino in January, 1909. 3196. Euglyptus foveicollis sp. nov. Euglyptus Broun, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 1411. Slender, slightly convex, shining; rufous; elytra, legs, and antennae fulvescent; palpi, tarsi, and terminal joint of antennae flavescent; pubescence greyish, suberect, rather scanty. Head obliquely narrowed behind, where it is slightly broader than the apex of the thorax; including the large eyes, much wider; it is, proportionally, moderately coarsely punctate, with an indistinct median stria behind, the prominent antennal tubercles separated by a distinct but not wide channel. Thorax slightly longer than broad, widest and obtusely prominent at the middle, more narrowed in front than behind; a transverse impression near the base connects the elongate lateral foveae; the discoidal fovea is elongate, but does not reach the basal impression; its punctation is indistinct. Elytra nearly twice the length of thorax, very little broader than it is at the base, wider near the middle, their
sides gently rounded; they are not perceptibly punctate; the sutural striae are rather fine, but are foveiform and deep at the base; the intra-humeral impression on each is also foveiform, so that the shoulder and the interval between the impression and the sutural fovea appear elevated. Hind-body shorter than the elytra, narrowed and deflexed posteriorly; the 1st dorsal segment horizontal, with a curvate basal depression; it is slightly longer than either the 2nd or 3rd. Antennae elongate, basal joint thicker but only a little longer than the 2nd, joints 3–5 quite oblong, 6–8 hardly as long as broad, 9th quite double the size of the 8th; 10th evidently broader than 9th, laxly articulated at the base, but closely applied to the 11th, which is large, conical, and acuminate; these 3 terminal articulations bear numerous slender but elongate hairs, and form a well-marked club. The thoracic sculpture and abbreviated humeral impressions are very different from those of E. elegans (2460). On the other hand, it does not agree very well with the type of the nearly allied genus Microtyrus (2461). The position assigned to it and the following species is therefore between these genera. There is no other systematic place for them. Length, 1½ mm.; breadth, ½ mm. Retaruke, near Erua. Described from a single specimen picked out of decayed leaves collected for me in March, 1910, by Captain H. S. Whitehorn, of the Geological Survey Department. 3197. Euglyptus longicornis sp. nov. Nitid, rufous; elytra, legs, and antennae fulvescent; tarsi and palpi testaceous. Head rather smaller than thorax, though nearly as broad, coarsely punctate, with a smooth median linear impression behind, and a distinct interantennal channel. Thorax suboviform, widest near the middle, indefinitely punctured; the broad mesial groove extends into the angular fossa near the base; the latter is united to the lateral foveae by a transverse stria. Elytra quadrifoveate, conjointly, at the base, with well-marked sutural striae but abbreviated humeral impressions. Basal dorsal segment with a transverse basal impression; this I consider a generic and not a sexual character. Antennae stout and elongate, basal joint evidently longer and thicker than the oblong 2nd, 3–5 also oblong, the 4th very slightly shorter than either of the adjoining ones, 6–8 moniliform, 9th distinctly longer than broad; 10th subquadrate, a little stouter than its predecessor, but not at all closely adapted to the base of the 11th, which is large, conical, and acuminate. Manifestly different from E. foveicollis; rather more robust, the eyes less convex, the thoracic median groove not foveiform or shortened, the legs longer, the anterior pair especially, whilst the more elongate antennae, with their laxly articulated 10th and 11th joints, form an additional and easily seen distinctive character. Length, 1⅔ mm.; breadth, ⅔ mm. Raurimu. I obtained my specimen amongst damp decayed leaves at the bottom of a steep ravine. Owing to the dense vegetation and slippery banks, the descent marked skin and clothing, but did not occupy much time; getting up again loaded with all my collecting gear and mud was a very different affair. I remember the date—28th January, 1910.
3198. Euplectopsis longicollis Reitter. Euplectopsis Raffray. Trichonyx, Verh. d. naturf. ver. Brunn., vol. 18, p. 4. Narrow, rufescent, densely clothed with short greyish hairs. Head somewhat narrower than thorax, much narrowed in front, genae parallel, punctate, with 2 convergent furrows. Thorax somewhat longer than broad, widest before the middle; finely and closely punctate, with 3 foveae near the base, the lateral largest, these connected by a transverse furrow; dorsal groove abbreviated. Elytra distinctly broader than thorax, and almost 1½ times its length, closely but hardly visibly punctured, sutural striae entire, the intrahumeral duplicated. Tarsi with 2 unequal claws. Antennae with joints 4–8 globose, not oblong, the terminal three abruptly increase, the two penultimate slightly transverse. Length, 1·8–2 mm. Greymouth. Mr. R. Helms. 3199. Euplectopsis microcephalus Reitter. Trichonyx, Verh. d. naturf. ver. Brunn., vol. 18, p. 5. Narrow, rufescent, very sparingly pubescent, nitid. Head small, much narrower than thorax, slightly punctured, with 2 short frontal grooves terminating behind in large deep foveae and convergent in front. Thorax as long as broad, strongly widened and rounded before the middle, finely punctate, trifoveate near the base. Elytra wider than thorax, 1¼ times longer; between the sutural and basal grooves there is a short basal linear impression. Antennae with joints 4–8 subglobose, the 5th and 7th slightly oblong, the last three abruptly larger, 9th and 10th of equal breadth, transverse. Like Trichonyx longicollis, with a smaller head, deeper frontal fossae, less evidently clothed, more glossy, and of a brighter red. Length, 2 mm. Greymouth. Mr. R. Helms. 3200. Euplectopsis brevicollis Reitter. Trichonyx, Verh. d. naturf. ver. Brunn., vol. 18, p. 6. Narrow, rufescent, with silky pubescence. Head somewhat narrower than thorax, with 2 short subparallel grooves nearly united in front and ending behind in foveae. Thorax somewhat broader than long, narrowed behind, finely punctate, the three basal foveae situated in the transversal furrow, the median longitudinal groove abbreviated in front, in the middle almost foveiform. Elytra similar to those of Trichonyx microcephalus. Antennae with joints 4, 6, and 8 slightly transverse, 5th and 7th quadrate-globose, the two penultimate nearly equal, moderately transverse, 11th large. Length, 1·3 mm. Greymouth. Mr. R. Helms. 3201. Euplectopsis rotundicollis Reitter. Trichonyx, Verh. d. naturf. ver. Brunn., vol. 18, p. 6. Narrow, rufescent, with silky pubescence. Head almost rotundate, very little narrower than thorax, punctulated, bi-impressed in front. Thorax nearly round, with 3 basal foveae situated in the transversal furrow, the intermediate fovea small, discoidal stria
abbreviated, the lateral sulci slightly impressed. Elytra broader and 1½ times longer than thorax. Basal dorsal segment distinctly punctulated, the striolae scarcely visible. Antennae with joints 4–10 globose, transverse, gradually incrassate. Nearly related to the two preceding species, with shorter, gradually thickened antennae, the head more rounded, lateral grooves of thorax nearly absent, basal dorsal segment distinctly punctulate. Length, 1·2–1·3 mm. Greymouth. Mr. R. Helms. 202. Euplectopsis trichonyformis Reitter. Euplectus, Verh. d. naturf. ver. Brunn., vol. 18, p. 7. Rufescent, moderately convex, shining, spaisely and finely pubescent. Head a little narrower than thorax, smooth, with 2 short subparallel grooves united in front, posterior foveae deeply impressed. Thorax almost wider than long, scarcely punctate, discoidal sulcus much abbreviated. Elytra 1½ times longer than thorax. Length, 1·8 mm. Greymouth. Mr. R. Helms. 3203. Euplectopsis schizocnemis sp. nov. Elongate, moderately convex, shining; rufo-fulvous, elytra and legs of a lighter hue, tarsi flavescent; with slender yellowish pubescence and some long, erect, slender setae. Head smaller than thorax, rounded behind the rather small but very prominent eyes, indistinctly punctate, interocular fovae prolonged as far as the elevated and somewhat widely separated antennal tubercles, and with a minute central carina behind. Thorax oviform, slightly longer than broad, more narrowed towards the front than behind, its base a little rounded; it is indistinctly punctured; the median groove is very thin, with sharply defined edges, it assumes the form of a slender carina towards the base, and thus divides the large ante-basal fossa; the lateral foveae are large; the basal margin is minutely asperate, but without well-marked punctures. Elytra but little longer than thorax, rather broader than thorax at the base, a little dilated behind, apices truncate; sutural striae well marked, the intrahumeral impression broad and moderately deep at the base, so that the inner margin and the shoulder seem slightly elevated; there are no perceptible punctiform foveae at the base. Hind-body shorter than elytra, the basal segment with a slight transverse impression, which is limited at each side by a slightly curved carina; 2nd segment, in the middle, fully as long as the 1st;-the others deflexed. Legs elongate, the anterior and intermediate femora arched above and robust, the latter especially; intermediate tibiae shorter than the others, gradually dilated to about double the width of the posterior pair, and, at the extremity, with a deep triangular excision, the protruding inner portion thicker than the outer. Antennae inserted in deep cavities in front of the eyes, so that the basal joint appears to be no longer or thicker than the oblong 2nd; 3rd obconical, a little longer than broad; joints 4–7 submoniliform, the 6th a little smaller than the others; 8th short and transverse; 9th abruptly enlarged, subquadrate, somewhat oblique at one side in front; 10th transverse, unsymmetrical; 11th largest, ovate and acuminate; the club therefore is evidently triarticulate.
E. eminens (1700) is somewhat similar, but its head is distinctly broader in line with the eyes. It may be at once separated by the coarsely punctate head and thorax and by joints 4–10 of the antennae being more or less strongly transverse. ♂. Length, 2 mm.; breadth, ⅔ mm. Retaruke, near Erua. I secured a single male out of leaf-mould kindly collected for me in March, 1910, by Captain H. S. Whitehorn, of the Geological Survey Department, and I secured a female at Erua in January. 3204. Euplectopsis carinatus sp. nov. Elongate, moderately convex, nitid; rufous; elytra, legs, and antennae lighter, yet not quite fulvescent; tarsi yellowish; pubescence distinct, greyish, very scanty on the head and thorax, the setae outstanding, slender and long; legs also pubescent. Head smaller than thorax, but, including the very prominent eyes, not much narrower than it is, curvedly narrowed behind; the middle is somewhat depressed as far as the prominent antennal tubercles; there are no well-marked foveae, but the middle of the occiput is elevated, and, when examined in some lights, appears tubercular; the sides are, relatively, coarsely but not deeply punctate. Thorax suboviform, widest near the middle, its smooth anterior portion much narrowed, so that the back of the head exceeds it in breadth; the sides and base have moderately coarse punctures, some of these are encircled by raised margins; the smooth central portion is subcarinate almost from front to base; this carina has a thin, sharply impressed groove, and it divides the large fossa near the base; the lateral foveae are elongate. Elytra subquadrate, broader than the thorax; sutural striae well marked, intrahumeral impressions deep at the base, the interval between each and the suture seems slightly raised half-way along each elytron; there are no distinct basal punctures. Hind-body shorter than elytra, the slight transverse impression in front of the basal segment has curvate external margins. Legs elongate; front and middle femora very thick and arched above; intermediate tibiae shorter than the others, gradually yet considerably expanded, with a short notch at the middle of the extremity. Antennae with distinct pubescence; their 2nd joint equals the visible portion of the 1st; 3rd obconical, a little longer than broad, smaller than 2nd; joints 4–8 short, 6th and 8th rather smaller than 7th; 9th abruptly enlarged, broader than long; 10th transverse, slightly broader but shorter than 9th; 11th quite as long as the preceding two taken together, conical, acuminate. This must be placed near E. eminens (1700), which differs in having less-prominent eyes, and thicker, shorter, differently formed antennae, &c. ♂. Length, 1¾ mm.; breadth, ⅔ mm. Mount Te Aroha. One, found by myself. A second specimen is most likely the female, but it is almost wholly pitchy red; the anterior femora are as thick as those of the male and the terminal joint of the antennae is similarly prolonged and acuminate. 3205. Euplectopsis antennalis sp. nov. Elongate, moderately convex, shining; fusco-rufous, the elytra, palpi, and terminal joint of antennae fulvescent, tarsi testaceous; head and thorax sparingly, elytra and hind-body thickly, clothed with flavescent hairs and slender elongate setae.
Head evidently smaller than thorax, rounded behind, yet broader there than the thoracic apex; basal fossae indistinct, the broad median depression extends forwards between the prominent antennal tubercles; the sculpture indefinite, consisting apparently of small granules with a minute puncture in each. Eyes moderately large and prominent, with coarse facets. Thorax suboviform, of about equal length and breadth, rather wider before the middle than elsewhere, rounded there, a good deal narrowed anteriorly; the mesial longitudinal sulcus is well marked, and ends in the basal fossa, which is joined to the elongate fovea at each side by distinct grooves; its sculpture is like that of the head. Elytra a third longer than thorax, rather broader than it is at the base, with rounded shoulders; apices slightly oblique towards the suture, with minute distant sculpture; sutural striae deep, intrahumeral impressions short, each elytron tripunctate at the base, the punctures, however, are in the striae. Hind-body shorter than the elytra, its basal three segments nearly equal, the 1st with a deep transverse basal impression, with carinate sides, the 2nd with a similar but more linear impression. Legs elongate; anterior femora thicker than the others; tibiae unarmed; all moderately arched outwardly, the front pair with more conspicuous pubescence near the extremity. Antennae stout, bearing rather elongate pubescence; their 2nd joint almost oval, as thick and long as the uncovered portion of the basal, 3rd nearly as long as broad, bead-like; joints 4–6 transverse, differing but little; 7th and 8th abruptly broader, unsymmetrical, thinner at the inner than at the outer sides; 9th and 10th transverse, still more enlarged, but not double the breadth of the preceding pair, both broad at the base but much narrowed in front; 11th conical, as broad as the 10th, but not as long as the 9th and 10th combined; at its base, on the inside, there is an obtuse tubercle. There is no necessity for comparison with other species, as the very remarkable antennae are abundantly distinctive ♂. Length, 2 mm.; breadth, ⅔ mm. Mount Ngauruhoe. One individual, picked out of a bagful of decaying leaves sent to me by Mr. W. J. Guinness in March, 1910. 3206. Euplectopsis eruensis sp. nov. Elongate, moderately convex, nitid; rufous; legs and antennae paler, tarsi flavescent; pubescence greyish-yellow, suberect. Head evidently smaller than thorax, nearly straight behind the small eyes, a little uneven and slightly asperate, but without well-marked foveae or punctures. Thorax suboviform, a little broader just before the middle than it is elsewhere, rather longer than broad, indistinctly punctate; median sulcus narrow, sharply marked, extending into and dividing the basal fossa and becoming cariniform at the base; lateral foveae large, each with a slight groove uniting it to the basal fossa. Elytra subquadrate, not exceeding the thorax in length, curvedly narrowed near the base; sutural striae deep and foveiform at the base, intrahumeral impressions also deep at the base but shallow towards the middle. Hind-body as long as the elytra, the basal two segments horizontal, 3rd slightly deflexed and shorter than 2nd, the 1st visible segment medially flattened towards its base, and with a pair of curved carinae there. Legs moderately stout, anterior femora thicker than the others, all the tibiae slightly dilated and curved below the middle.
Antennae with slender pubescence, their oblong 2nd joint not quite as stout but about as long as the 1st; 3rd obconical, slightly longer than broad; joints 4–6 bead-like, and of about the same length and breadth; 7th and 8th slightly larger, narrowed towards the apex; 9th and 10th rather larger, both narrowed apically; 11th largest, conical, subacuminate. Underside shining, with suberect greyish pubescence. Head studded with minute but quite definite granules, and bearing erect slender setae. Prosternum medially carinate. Anterior femora broadly grooved, all distinctly pubescent. Metasternum unimpressed. Abdomen elongate; basal segment but little exposed, fringed behind; 2nd and 3rd about equal, each longer than 4th or 5th; 6th finely and distantly punctured, in the middle nearly double the length of the 5th, with a slender basal margin, and, at the apex, with a median semicircular carina. At once separable from E. heterarthrus by its 2nd antennal joint being thinner than the 1st. Length, 1⅔ mm.; breadth, quite ½ mm. Erua. The typical specimen was found by me in January, 1910, and two or three others were picked out of leaf-mould collected two months afterwards by Mr. W. J. Guinness. In two of these specimens the 9th and 10th joints of the antennae are more transversal and not distinctly narrowed apically—possibly a sexual disparity only. 3207. Euplectopsis heterarthrus sp. nov. Elongate, slightly convex, nitid; castaneo-rufous; legs and terminal joint of antennae fulvescent, tarsi and palpi flavescent. Head evidently smaller than thorax, nearly straight behind the small but prominent eyes, longer and more narrowed in front of them; the foveae small, and situated near the eyes, its surface somewhat asperate or punctate, nearly smooth behind, antennal tubercles small and distant. Thorax oviform, rather longer than broad, its sides moderately rounded, widest at the middle, without distinct punctation; mesial groove narrow, yet definite, and extending into the basal impression, which has a thin groove connecting it with the large fovea at each side. Elytra not much longer than thorax, a good deal broader behind, the shoulders curvedly narrowed so that the base, which is incurved, is hardly wider than that of the thorax; they are only very indistinctly punctured; the sutural striae are broad; the dorsal impression also is broad, deep at the base, but becoming shallow behind, and is marked off from the side of the elytron and the sutural stria by raised lines. Hind-body about as long as elytra, the basal two segments horizontal, 3rd slightly deflexed, the 1st with a transverse impression at its base. Legs moderately stout, the tibiae slightly curved outwardly, the front and middle tarsi rather thicker than the slender posterior pair. Antennae stout; 2nd joint suboviform, scarcely longer than broad, rather thicker than the basal; joints 3–5 transverse, quite as broad as 2nd; 6–8 transverse, each becoming shorter than its predecessor; 9th rather broader than 8th, but very short; 10th distinctly enlarged, also tianverse; 11th largest, conical. Maxillary palpi with broadly ovate terminal articulations. Underside chestnut-red, rather sparingly but evenly clothed with greyish pubescence. Prosternum medially carinate.
Male.—Abdomen elongate, 1st segment ciliate behind, only slightly exposed, 4th rather shorter than 2nd or 3rd, 5th widely incurved at the apex, the 6th more deeply, 7th small. Female.—5th segment nearly truncate at the extremity, 6th not abbreviated. This small species may be identified by the antennal structure and zealandius-like elytral striae. Length, 1½ mm.; breadth, ½ mm. Erua and Raurimu, January, 1910. Three or four specimens were also found amongst leaf-mould collected at Makatote by Mr. W. J. Guinness, and at Retaruke by Captain H. S. Whitehorn, in March. 3208. Euplectopsis biimpressus sp. nov. Elongate, nitid; pubescence yellowish, nearly suberect on the elytra; rufous, legs and antennae paler, tarsi and palpi flavescent. Head smaller than thorax, straight behind the prominent eyes, punctate and slightly asperate, the foveae somewhat prolonged anteriorly, antennal tubercles rather small and distant. Thorax oviform, slightly longer than broad, the middle widest, more gradually narrowed towards the front than behind; it is less distinctly punctate than the head, the discoidal groove is distinct and extends into but not beyond the basal fossa, which is connected with the large lateral foveae. Elytra rather longer than thorax, curvedly narrowed towards the base, indistinctly punctate; the sutural and interhumeral striae broad and deep at the base, separated by slightly raised lines. Hind-body rather longer than elytra; 3rd segment quite as long as the 2nd, and only slightly deflexed; basal segment with a deep transverse impression in front, the 2nd similarly but less deeply impressed, both of these impressions without cariniform margins. Antennae stout, their 2nd joint slightly thicker than the 1st, quite as long as it is broad; 3rd slightly larger than the shorter 4th, neither quite as broad as the 2nd; 5th distinctly broader than adjoining ones; 6th and 7th transverse, broader than the shorter 8th; 9th and 10th transverse, the latter evidently larger than the 9th, and as broad as the large, conical, terminal joint. The rather narrower outline, enlarged 5th antennal joint, and the additional impression on the 2nd dorsal segment will aid in its separation from E. heterarthrus. Length, 1⅔ mm.; breadth, ½ mm. Raurimu. I obtained my specimen in January, 1910, at the bottom of a steep ravine. 3209. Pycnoplectus cephalotes Reitter. Euplectus, Verh. d. naturf. ver. Brunn., vol. 18. Rufescent, shining, very finely pubescent. Head large, transversely quadrate, as broad as thorax, frontal foveae subparallel, united in front, apex deeply foveolate. Thorax with the discoidal sulcus much abbreviated in front. Elytra with the sutural striae entire, the dorsal very short and broad, and with 2 punctiform foveae at the base. Basal three dorsal segments almost equal, the 1st simple. Very like Euplectus erichsoni. The head larger and more quadrate, with shorter frontal furrows opening out into larger grooves behind. Thorax wider, the median groove sharply impressed. Length, 2 mm. Greymouth. Mr. R. Helms.
3210. Vidamus calcaratus sp. nov. Vidamus Raffray. Robust, moderately convex, nitid; rufous; legs, antennae, and palpi fulvescent; clothed with slender erect yellowish-grey pubescence, and also with a few elongate erect hairs. Head large, as broad as thorax, rounded near the base, with a pair of large basal fossae which are prolonged as broad channels and unite in front; antennal tubercles prominent, confluent on the forehead. Eyes convex, rather small. Thorax convex, widest near the front, rounded there, gradually narrowed backwards; with a large transversal depression behind the middle, and a large elongate fovea at each side, these are without any connecting grooves, there is no discoidal sulcus along the middle, near the basal margin it is tripunctate. Elytra rather broader than thorax at the base, nearly twice its length, gradually widened posteriorly, apices truncate; sutural striae deep, intrahumeral impression deep near the base, becoming narrow and shallow towards the middle; each elytron quadripunctate at the base. Hind-body much shorter than elytra, its basal three segments of about equal length, the others deflexed. Legs elongate; femora stout, the middle pair slightly arched above and thicker than the others; intermediate tibae shorter and stouter than the posterior, with a thick spiniform process near the inner extremity. Antennae finely and sparsely pubescent; basal two joints cylindric, the 1st rather longer and thicker than the 2nd; 3rd as long as 2nd, more slender, gently narrowed towards its base; 4th and 5th equal, evidently longer than broad; 6th and 7th differ but little from the preceding pair; 8th rather smaller than adjacent ones; 9th slightly broader and longer than its predecessor, but not as broad as the moniliform 10th; the terminal largest, ovate; the club therefore is not distinctly triarticulate. In Sharp's Euplectus convexus (254) the posterior tibiae are sub-angulate inwardly at the middle. In my V. spinipes (3048) the legs are less robust, and the intermediate tibiae have the spine on each placed between the middle and extremity. ♂. Length, 2½ mm.; breadth, nearly 1 mm. Makatote. A single male found in leaf-mould collected for me by Mr. W. J. Guinness in February, 1910. 3211. Vidamus incertus Reitter. Euplectus, Verh. d. naturf. ver. Brunn., vol. 18, p. 8. Subdepressed, fusco-testaceous, rather shining. Head not at all narrower than thorax, smooth, frontal furrows narrowed, joined in front, posterior fovae deeply impressed. Thorax as long as broad, without discoidal groove. Elytra broader and 1½ times longer than thorax, very finely punctulated, sutural striae entire, the intrahumeral foveiform. Male.—Femora moderately incrassate. Metasternum slightly foveate behind. Similar to Euplectus karsteni in size and form. Head smooth, with. convergent frontal furrows. Length, 1–1·1 mm. Greymouth. Mr. R. Helms.
3212. Plectomorphus optandus sp. nov. Plectomorphus Raffray. Robust, elongate, convex, shining; rufous, elytra and legs of a paler tint, tarsi and palpi fulvescent; pubescence yellowish, thicker on the wing-cases and hind-body than elsewhere, and bearing also some elongate, slender, erect setae. Head large, rather elongate, narrower than thorax, a little curvedly narrowed behind the prominent, coarsely faceted eyes; with a pair of basal foveae, its whole central portion depressed, so that the antennal tubercles appear large and elevated. Thorax large, cordiform, of about equal length and breadth, somewhat dilated and rounded near the front, where it is more abruptly narrowed than towards the base; the median groove is deep and broad, and terminates in the large post-median fossa, which has thick raised hind borders, and a slight transverse stria towards each side; the lateral foveae are sulciform, and extend from the base to near the front; like the head, it is only indistinctly punctate. Elytra a third longer than thorax, rather broader than it is at the base, more so behind; sutural striae well marked, foveiform at the base, intra-humeral impressions also deep at the base, rather broad, but becoming obsolete towards the middle. Hind-body about as broad as but shorter than the elytra, gradually deflexed, 3rd segment in the middle, as long as the 2nd; the basal has a deep transverse impression with cariniform lateral borders. Antennae with slender, elongate pubescence; 2nd joint quite as long but not as stout as the 1st; 3rd elongate, yet shorter than its predecessor; joints 4, 6, 7, and 8 moniliform, each of about equal length and breadth; 5th longer than contiguous ones; 9th and 10th evidently larger than 8th, about equal, truncate at the base, much contracted apically; 11th largest, conical and acuminate; the club therefore is distinctly triarticulate. Legs elongate; anterior and intermediate femora stouter than the posterior; front tibiae slightly bent and distinctly pubescent near the extremity, the intermediate with a stout though rather short and not very prominent calcar, directed backwards, at the inner extremity. Differentiated by the rather narrow, medially concave head, and large, elevated antennal tubercles. In the type of the genus, P. spinifer (2476), the calcar of the middle tibiae projects inwardly. ♂. Length, 2½ mm.; breadth, ¾ mm. Erua. One male, taken out of leaf-mould, January, 1910. A second, rather more slender, with simple tibiae, is no doubt the female, and was found amongst dead leaves collected by Mr. W. J. Guinness two months afterwards. 3213. Plectomorphus longipes sp. nov. Elongate, slightly nitid; fusco-rufous, tarsi and palpi fulvescent; its clothing a mixture of rather short, depressed, and more elongate, suberect, greyish hairs, these latter predominate on the elytra; there are also a few slender outstanding setae. Head nearly as large as thorax, rather abruptly narrowed in front of the eyes, rounded behind them; its sculpture ill-defined, apparently minutely granular at the sides near the front; there is a slender carina along the middle of the occiput, the large basal foveae are not deep, and are not distinctly prolonged anteriorly, the space between the prominent antennal tubercles is depressed. Eyes small, only slightly convex. Thorax cordiform, about as long as broad, strongly rounded, and widest
before the middle, more narrowed in front than behind; the median groove is deep and extends into the basal fossa, which is united to the elongate lateral impressions by transverse striae, its sculpture seems to be finely subgranular. Elytra, at the base, broader than thorax, a third longer, without perceptible punctation; sutural striae deep; dorsal impressions deep at the base, rather broad, but becoming indistinct before the middle. Hind-body deflexed posteriorly, much shorter than elytra, its first visible segment horizontal, with a transverse basal impression. Legs very elongate, the frontal pairs particularly; femora rather slender, anterior tibiae moderately curved externally. Antennae elongate, with slender pubescence, basal joint cylindric, stout, red, distinctly punctate, nearly double the length of the oblong 2nd; joints 3–8 oblong, 3–5 slightly larger than the three which follow; 9th and 10th about equal, as long as they are broad, narrowed apically, distinctly, yet not very much, broader than the 8th; terminal elongate, conical, acuminate, and about as long as the 9th and 10th combined. The remarkably elongate, Byraxis-like legs, rather short deflexed hind-body, suberect elytral vestiture, and the peculiar sculpture of the head and basal joint of the antennae are sufficiently distinctive. Length, 2½ mm.; breadth, ¾ mm. Greymouth. A single individual from Mr. J. H. Lewis. Byraxis Reitter. Beitrage zur Kafer-fauna von N.Z. Verh. Nat. ver. Brunn., vol. 20. Near subgenus Reichenbachia. Body rather short and convex. Antennae 10-articulate, robust, distant at base, almost biclavate. Maxillary palpi quadriarticulate, terminal joint fusiform, narrow. Basal joint of posterior tarsi short, the following two much elongated, with single claws. Head obsoletely bifoveolate. Thorax smooth, not at all foveolate. Elytra without dorsal striae. 3214. Byraxis monstrosa Reitter. Verh. d. Naturf. ver. Brunn., vol. 20, p. 197. Rufo-castaneous, shining, smooth; extremity of antennae piceous, legs red. Head nearly quadrate, almost plane, with 2 shallow frontal foveae. Thorax about as long as broad, cordiform, smooth. Elytra smooth, without dorsal grooves, sutural striae very fine. Male.—Antennae robust; basal joint stout, cylindric; 2nd quadrate, narrower than 1st; joints 3–8 transversal, 7th and 8th appreciably widened; 9th and 10th large, uneven, and pubescent, the former acutely produced outwardly, the latter very thick, nearly sublunate inwardly, so that the extremity of the 9th joint can be received in the hollow. Penultimate ventral segment deeply impressed, the basal strongly foveolate medially, crested and bifasciculate laterally. Length, 1·5 mm. Greymouth. Mr. R. Helms. 3215. Byraxis rhyssarthra sp. nov. Smooth, shining, nearly glabrous, there being only a few inconspicuous greyish hairs on the hind-body; rufous; elytra, legs, and antennae of a paler red; tarsi and palpi flavescent.
Head nearly as large as thorax, obsoletely bifoveolate in front. Eyes slightly prominent, with coarse facets. Thorax of about equal length and breadth, widest just before the middle, finely margined and feebly bisinuate at the base, without impressions. Elytra nearly thrice the length of thorax, slightly broader at the base, their sides a little rounded near the hind thighs, with fine sutural striae. Hind-body deflexed, without well-marked sculpture. Legs slender. Underside nitid, iufous, with some fine greyish pubescence. Meta-sternum broadly medially depressed, the sides of the depression somewhat elevated backwards. Basal ventral segment large, flattened behind, with a distinct tubercle close to each of the coxae; segments 2–4 very short in the middle, the 5th with a large fovea. Anterior trochanters spined. Antennae 10-articulate; basal joint stout, cylindric; 2nd similar, but shorter; 3rd rather smaller than 2nd, and narrowed towards the base; 4th somewhat moniliform, and shorter than adjoining ones; 5th subquadrate; these articulations bear slender pubescence only; the 6th and 7th coalesce and are hardly distinguishable from each other, except that the latter has short yet distinct brassy setae and is slightly obtusely bulging at one side; 8th extremely short, sometimes overlapped by its predecessor, all three rather broader than the 5th; 9th very large, straight inwardly, longer and gradually becoming broader outwardly, its front angle slightly curved and clasping; the base of the 10th, its apex oblique and slightly concave; 10th conical when exserted, subrotundate when closely applied to the penultimate, nearly as broad as it is; both of these bear finer setae than the 7th and are finely but quite definitely granulate. Malformation of joints 6–8 of the antennae renders an accurate description of one male inapplicable to the other. It must be placed next to 1645. Female.—Antennae 11-articulate, joints 1–5 like those of the male, their 6th joint of about the same size as the 4th, joints 7–9 transverse, 10th broader than 9th, 11th nearly twice as long as broad. Length, 1½ mm.; breadth, ⅔ mm. Mount Pirongia. I found two males and three females in December, 1909. Group Silphidae. 3216. Choleva caeca sp. nov. Choleva Latreille, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 151. Oblong-oval, nitid, pubescence depressed, slender, pale flavescent; fusco-castaneous, head and legs rufescent; tarsi, palpi, and basal three joints of antennae testaceous, remaining joints fuscous. Head small, widest and somewhat angulate behind the middle, narrowed anteriorly, moderately coarsely but not closely punctured. Thorax large, the breadth nearly double the length, much curved anteriorly, base truncate but with its angles slightly overlapping the shoulders; it is much more finely punctate than the head, indistinctly on the middle. Scutellum triangular. Elytra nowhere broader than the thorax, and quite twice its length, gradually narrowed posteriorly, the apices not at all acuminate; with fine sutural striae, and moderately close, transversely strigose sculpture. Antennae as long as head and thorax, gradually incrassate, finely pubescent; 2nd joint rather longer than 3rd; 4th and 5th longer than
broad; 6th subquadrate and a little smaller than 7th, both slightly narrowed towards the base; 8th very short and transverse, but as broad as the 9th, which, as well as the 10th, is transversely quadrate; 11th conical, larger than the preceding. Tibiae setose, the intermediate curvate, the posterior distinctly bispinose at the extremity. Tarsi elongate, thickly pubescent, the anterior not dilated The eyes are not discernible above. Maxillary palpi with the penultimate articulation obconical and rather large, the terminal small and acuminate. Most nearly resembles 2754 and 2756; both of these, however, can be easily distinguished by their prominent eyes. ♀. Length, 2½ mm.; breadth, 1⅓ mm. Mount Ngauruhoe. My specimen I owe to the kindness of Mr. W. J. Guinness, who collected the leaf-mould it was found in. 3217. Choleva castanea sp. nov. Oblong-oval, slightly convex, a little nitid; light castaneous, the legs, antennae, and palpi somewhat fulvescent; pubescence slender, decumbent, yellowish-grey. Head trigonal in front, much narrowed behind, acutely angulate laterally at the middle, finely and distantly punctured. Eyes invisible. Thorax large, twice as broad as long, curvedly narrowed towards the depressed and obtuse anterior angles, the base subtruncate but with its angles directed backwards so as to clasp the shoulders, its sculpture fine and rendered indefinite by the pubescence. Scutellum triangular, rather indistinct. Elytra of the same width as thorax at the base, gradually narrowed posteriorly; with fine sutural striae, so sculptured as to appear covered with transverse series of minute impressions. Antennae with the basal three joints cylindric and about equally elongate; 4th distinctly shorter than 3rd, and as long but narrower than 5th; 6th and 7th subquadrate, the latter evidently the larger; 8th short, nearly as broad as the adjoining ones; 9th and 10th transverse, each narrowed towards its base; 11th larger, conical. Maxillary palpi elongate, penultimate articulation long and broad, the terminal minute and acuminate. Tibiae finely setose, the intermediate arcuate, bispinose at the extremity. Tarsi of the male with the basal four joints of the anterior dilated, the middle pair slightly thicker than the posterior. Rather less oblong than C. caeca, and at once separable by the finer sculpture, of the head particularly, by the more slender posterior tarsi, and the paler and more uniform coloration. ♂. Length, 2⅓ mm.; breadth, 1¼ mm. Retaruke, near Erua. A single male, picked out of leaf-mould collected by Captain H. S. Whitehorn, of the Geological Survey Department, March, 1910. 3218. Camiarus estriatus sp. nov. Camiarus Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 148. Suboblong, slightly convex, nitid, nigrescent, legs and antennae obscure rufous, pubescence distinct. Head small, smooth, with a few very slender greyish hairs. Eyes prominent. Thorax a third broader than long, widest near the middle, well rounded and much narrowed anteriorly, slightly sinuate-angustate
towards the rectangular hind angles; the deep median channel, which is expanded behind, extends almost, or quite, from base to apex; at each side of it, on the middle, there is a well-marked puncture, and a smaller one near the apex; basal fossae deep and moderately elongate, with a transverse series of 6 punctures between them; along each side from the posterior angle to beyond the middle there are several small punctures; it bears numerous elongate ashy hairs. Elytra oblong-oval, with curvedly narrowed shoulders, so that the base is only a little broader than that of the thorax, which is hardly half their length; their sculpture is irregular, consisting of, on each, 6 dorsal rows of very unequal punctures, some are elongate or oblong and others very distant from each other, just at the base some almost form striae; they are clothed with suberect, very elongate, slender cinereous hairs, and many conspicuous white ones are intermingled. Antennae stout, finely setose; the basal six joints are subcylindric, and differ but little, the 1st, however, is thicker, and the 6th rather thinner than the contiguous ones; 7th rather broader than 6th; 8th evidently the smallest; joints 9–11 about as broad as the 7th. Male.—Tarsi anterior, with the basal three articulations dilated, the 1st largest, intermediate pair simple, 5th ventral segment incurved at the apex. Rather larger than C. thoracica (270), which, however, can be easily recognized by the very regularly striate-punctate elytra and well-marked interstices. I possess eight specimens of the present species; two were secured by myself, the others were found in leaf-mould sent to me by Mr. W. J. Guinness during March and April, 1910. They are very homogeneous. Length, 4½ mm.; breadth, nearly 2 mm. Erua, near Waimarino; altitude, 2,500 ft. 3219. Silphotelus obliquus sp. nov. Sulphotelus Broun, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 6, vol. 15, p. 83. Glossy, oblong-oval, slightly convex, bearing only a few minute erect grey setae; fuscous; sides of thorax and the shoulders of a paler and more rufescent hue; the sides of elytra behind the middle fusco-testaceous. Head slightly broader than apex of thorax, very evidently and broadly depressed between the vertex and the eyes, without visible sculpture. Eyes nearly flat, occupying more than half of each side of the head, just free from the thorax, truncate behind, narrowed anteriorly, with moderate facets. Thorax transverse, the sides very distinctly margined, gently curvedly narrowed towards the subtruncate apex; the base closely adapted to the elytra, feebly medially curved and sinuate towards the sides, its angles just rectangular; its sculpture very fine and hardly discernible. Scutellum large, curvilinearly triangular. Elytra oblong, just a little broader than thorax at the base, quite twice its length, oblique towards the obtuse apices, the lateral margins much thinner than those of the thorax; their punctation irregular, rather fine and shallow, nowhere close, the suture sharply defined, with obsolete striae. Antennae inserted at the sides quite clear of the eyes; basal joint cylindric, slightly longer than 2nd, both fusco-testaceous; 3rd more slender than 2nd, and nearly as long as it is; joints 4–7 longer than broad, and about equal; 8th slightly broader than 7th, not abbreviated;
10th transverse, shorter and broader than 9th; terminal largest, subrotundate. Body winged. Pygidium covered. Tarsi seemingly only 4-jointed, but I think they are pentamerous, with the true basal articulation small and indistinctly marked off; the basal three joints of the front pairs are slightly dilated. The large scutellum and oblique posterior portion of the elytra distinguish it from 2757, the typical species. Length, 1½ mm.; breadth, 1 mm. Greymouth. A single individual, from Mr. J. H. Lewis, October, 1909. Group Colydiidae. 3220. Syncalus explanatus sp. nov. Syncalus Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 200. Convex, oblong-oval, subopaque; fusco-piceous, the front and sides of thorax, as well as the legs, obscurely rufeseent; tarsi and antennae of a paler red; the setae yellowish, rather fine, erect along the sides, on the after part of the body, and on the tibiae; on the elytra, near the suture, they are depressed and fine, but beyond are irregularly concentrated, without, however, forming distinct tufts. Head with subgranular sculpture, resembling short rugae behind. Thorax nearly twice as broad as long, disc transversely convex, the sides explanate or flattened, slightly rounded and more narrowed in front than behind; the anterior angles extend as far as the front of the eyes, the posterior are nearly rectangular; disc a little uneven, with irregular sculpture consisting of an admixture of small flattened granules and short rugae. Elytra of the same width as thorax at the base, twice its length; their sculpture somewhat ill-defined; when examined from behind it seems to consist of series of moderately coarse punctures, which, when scrutinized sideways, appear as if they were transformed into granules, a peculiarity which is also apparent in some species of Coxelus. Antennae sparsely pubescent, the exposed part of the 1st joint not longer than the 2nd, 3rd twice as long as broad, 4th slightly longer than 5th, 8th small and transverse. Club oblong, abruptly enlarged, unsymmetrical, being attached to the 8th joint outside the middle, its basal joint almost as broad as the intermediate, the terminal large and rotundate. It may be distinguished from the other recorded species by the flattened sides of the thorax and peculiar sculpture. The setae on the tibiae are rather fine. Length, 6 mm.; breadth, 3¼ mm. Akatarawa, near Wellington. My specimen was found by Mr. A. O'Connor. 3221. Tarphiomimus tuberculatus sp. nov. Tarphiomimus Wollaston, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 182. Elongate, very uneven, opaque; fuscous; antennae and tarsi piceo-rufous; sparingly clothed with inconspicuous, elongate, yellowish-grey squamae. Head granulate, antennary orbits only moderately developed. Thorax in its widest part, near the front, about a half broader than long, very much narrowed towards the base; its sides bilobed, the anterior lobe
large, with a deep semicircular excision between it and the dentiform second one, which is situated near the middle, the prominent posterior angle can hardly be termed a lobe; disc much elevated, with a broad channel from front to rear, a pair of strongly elevated prominences form the lateral boundary of the channel in front, there is a pair of smaller ones behind, and another, less elevated but more elongate, near the middle of the base; the sculpture is granular. Elytra more than double the length of thorax, their sides nearly vertical, with serrate margins; on each elytron there is an elongate tubercle at the base, not far from the suture, a pair behind the basal one but nearer the side, on top of the declivity (posterior), near the suture, a rounded prominence, and a pair of smaller ones lower down; there are some others on the side, and a minute one behind the middle, near the suture; the disc is almost flat along the middle, with nearly seriate granular sculpture. Antennae with fine setae, those, however, on the thick basal joint are coarser and brassy; 2nd stout, oviform; 3rd elongate, but not quite as long as the 4th and 5th combined. Legs with curled squamiform setae; tibiae flexuous. Underside opaque, reddish; the metasternum, basal ventral segment, and middle of prosternum with distinct granules and very few yellow setae, the other segments more finely sculptured, flanks of the prosternum covered with sappy matter. An obscurely coloured elongate species, with stouter legs than T. indentatus, and with altogether different sculpture, the elytral prominences being distinctly separated from one another. Length, 4⅓ mm.; breadth, 1⅔ mm. Mount Greenland, near Ross. From Mr. H. Hamilton's collection. 3222. Ulonotus uropterus sp. nov. Ulonotus Erichson, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 186. Elongate, transversely convex, subopaque; fusco-piceous, thoracic lobes and legs pale fusco-rufous; the sides of the body bear short dark setae, the elevated parts slender yellow ones, the legs coarse greyish ones. Head subquadrate, with close granular sculpture. Eyes free, prominent. Antennae sparsely pubescent, the club more densely; 2nd joint nearly as long as the exposed part of the 1st, not quite as stout; 3rd distinctly longer than 4th or 5th; joints 6–8 shorter, and moniliform; club oblong-oval, its intermediate joint larger than 9th, but shorter than the 11th. Thorax bilobed, the frontal lobe large, its apex attaining the eye, the 2nd is quite dentiform and placed at the middle of the side, posterior angles rectangular; its middle portion—id est, without the lobes—is longer than broad, binodose in front and projecting somewhat over the head, it is without other inequalities and is distinctly granulate. Scutellum small. Elytra with slightly rounded shoulders, yet quite as broad as thorax at the base, quite twice its length, with thick distinctly prolonged apices, the lateral margins only indistinctly serrate; they are closely seriate-granulate; 3rd interstices a little elevated at the base; just at the summit of the posterior declivity on each elytron there is a pair of prominent nodosities; in line with the outer, but a little further in advance of it, there is a less-prominent one. The tail-like prolongation of the elytral apices will at once lead to its recognition. Length, 3½ mm.; breadth, 1¼ mm. Wairiri, Kaikoura. Unique. Found under bark by Mr. W. L. Wallace.
3223. Ulonotus wallacei sp. nov. Oblong, elongate, transversely convex, opaque; fuscous, variegated with yellowish-grey, obscure rufous, and black; the thoracic lobes, legs, and antennae fusco-rufous, the middle of the tibiae often fuscous. Head narrowed anteriorly, with rather coarse brassy setae and granular sculpture, the antennal prominences distinct. Thorax a third broader than long, its frontal lobe largest and extending to beyond the eye; the 2nd, just behind the middle, is much smaller, deeply and rather widely separated from the 1st; 3rd barely half the size of 2nd, and nearly forming the basal angle; disc uneven, with a large angular depression on the middle, a much smaller one at the base, the other, at the apex, is not always distinctly angulate; the setae are very irregularly distributed, greyish-yellow, some are squamiform, others finer. Elytra oblong, parallel, and as broad as the widest part of thorax; the series of nodules nearest each side of the suture form almost continuous ridges; their basal part is most elevated, so that the scutellar region seems depressed; the suture is much more finely nodose, and the series nearest the sides are more or less rufescent; the setae are greyish, some are coarser than others, and those on the sides, like those of the legs, are more or less erect. Antennae with rather dark slender setae; 2nd joint thick and usually as long as the exposed portion of the 1st, these often bear coarse yellowish setae; 3rd slender, and evidently longer than the contiguous ones; joints 4–8 decrease in length; club large, dark, its basal joint about as broad as the other two. Basal three joints of the tarsi, together, rather shorter than the terminal one. Underside nigrescent, opaque, with numerous distinct pale brassy setae; it is closely granulate; the 5th ventral segment, however, is much less so; metasternum, behind, grooved half-way along the middle. Its nearest ally is 1708 (U. rufescens), which may be distinguished by the very short transverse basal joints of the club, less-convex eyes, and different coloration. Length, 5–5½ mm.; breadth, 2–2⅓ mm. Wairiri, Seaward Kaikouras. Several specimens found under bark by Mr. W. L. Wallace, whose name has been given to the species. 3224. Notoulus demissus sp. nov. Notoulus Broun, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 183 (Ablabus). Oblong, convex, subopaque; obscure fusco–rufous, the depressed scutellar region and a large median spot across each elytron dark fuscous; legs ferruginous, antennae and tarsi somewhat fulvescent, thoracic lobes testaceous; sparingly clothed with short, slender, more or less curled flavescent setae. Head large, nearly as broad as the thoracic disc, with indistinct granular sculpture. Thorax about as broad as long, excluding the lateral lobes; uneven, with a large median impression which seems to extend to the sides, distinctly and irregularly granulate; its sides broadly explanate and bilobed; the frontal lobe is large, with its anterior angle projecting almost as far as, yet distant from, the centre of the eye, the 2nd is cylindrical and situated between the former and the base, posterior angles indistinct. Elytra twice the length of the thorax, with obtuse shoulders, so that, at the base, they are no wider than the thorax; their sides are studded with granules, and appear subserrate;
they are seriate-punctate, regularly near the suture, not so beyond; the scutellar region is depressed; there is a distinct, though not large, basal elevation of the 3rd interstices, and on the summit of the apical declivity on each elytron there is a pair of small nodosities. Antennae with the club densely pubescent, broad and biarticulate; basal joint but little exposed above; 2nd thick, as long as broad; 3rd slender, not elongate, yet longer than it is broad; 4th and 5th slightly longer than broad; joints 6–8 moniliform and small; 9th rather broader than its predecessor, not dull and pubescent, and only about a third of the width of the club. Only a single species, N. brevis (1353), resembles this, which, however, is even smaller, with more-convex elytra, rounded shoulders, and different thoracic impressions and lobes. Length, nearly 2 mm.; breadth, 1 mm. Mount Pirongia. December, 1909. Unique. In its natural condition it is covered with greyish sappy matter, so that its real sculpture and thoracic lobes cannot be seen. The removal of that substance by degrees with the point of a needle and brushing with benzene is a very delicate and tedious operation in the case of a somewhat asperate insect about the size of a pin's head. At any rate, the cleaning without damage and the subsequent description of this solitary specimen occupied a whole day. Dr. Sharp's Bitoma sellata (1927) should be placed in this genus. It is not in the least like the European Bitoma, and may be readily separated from Ulonotus by its biarticulate club. 3225. Bitoma maura sp. nov. Bitoma Herbst, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 192. Elongate, subdepressed, entirely dull black, with a few elongate, scale-like, yellowish setae. Head rather smaller than thorax, with granular sculpture. Eyes of moderate size. Antennae inserted below the edge of the forehead; the exposed portion of the basal joint not longer than the thick 2nd, which is narrowed towards its base; 3rd slender, longer than adjoining ones; 4th and 5th about equal, longer than broad; 8th and 9th moniliform; the 10th obconical, twice as broad as the 9th, about as long as broad; 11th oblong, as broad as the 10th; these two joints are densely and finely pubescent, and form the club. Thorax not lobate, widest near the front, gradually narrowed backwards, with obtuse angles; the surface a little uneven, with a large depression on the middle of the disc; its sculpture is ill-defined, but appears to be granular; it is slightly broader than long. Elytra almost thrice the length of thorax, evidently broader, their sides parallel; they are broadly impressed before the middle and behind the scutellum, their sculpture seems to consist of closely placed series of granules. So far as superficial appearance is concerned, this species stands alone. The club is unusually elongate. Our B. insularis and B. vicina (343 and 344), so far as can be judged without dissection, will probably remain in this genus. All the other species are certainly different from the type of the genus, the European B. crenata. Length, 2½ mm.; breadth, nearly 1 mm. Waimarino; elevation, 2,600 ft.; January, 1910. One only could be found.
Group Pycnomeridae. 3226. Pycnomerus reversus sp. nov. Pycnomerus Erichson, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 208. Glabrous, slightly nitid, nigrescent, legs and antennae rufous. Head subquadrate, evidently narrower than thorax, moderately finely and rather distantly punctate, very deeply bi-impressed throughout. Thorax longer than broad, its sides nearly straight, just perceptibly or hardly at all narrowed anteriorly; the apex with a slight median emargination, its angles not prominent; base somewhat curved, so that the angles are not sharply rectangular; it is distinctly but not coarsely and rather distantly punctured, moderately bi-impressed along the middle, and with the interval between the impressions rather broad and nearly smooth. Scutellum obsolete. Elytra double the length of the thorax, somewhat oviform, widest near the middle; the base slightly incurved, with incrassate angles, which therefore appear to project slightly outwardly as well as frontally; the dorsal sculpture on each elytron consists of 4 series of unequal, mostly elongate, punctiform impressions; these are connected by feeble striae, but towards the apex the stria are deep, the sutural particularly so, and also rather broad, so that the adjoining interstice appears costiform; the suture is broad and slightly expanded outwardly at the base, the 2nd and 4th interstices do not reach the base; the sculpture near the sides is finer and more punctate-striate; all the interstices and the suture have distant, minute, serial punctures. Underside nitid, the sternum coarsely, the abdomen more finely and remotely punctured, its terminal segment with a large fovea at each side. Belongs to section I in my cabinet, which comprises species with minute eyes and indistinct 11th antennal joints. Most nearly related to 1944, 1949, and 1950, but, independently of other details, differentiated by the finer punctation of the thorax and unusual elytral sculpture. Length, 3¼–3½ mm.; breadth, 1–1¼ mm. Greymouth. Three examples from Mr. J. H. Lewis. 3227. Pycnomerus candidus sp. nov. Nitid, castaneo-rufous, antennae rufous, apex of thorax fringed with fine yellowish pubescence. Head subquadrate, narrower than thorax, frontal fovae deep; its punctation distinct but not close. Thorax of about equal length and breadth, very slightly narrowed in front, very gradually so behind, with well-developed lateral margins; apex medially truncate, but with a short sinuosity near each side, thus permitting the small eyes to be easily seen, its angles acutely prominent; posterior angles rectangular, but not extending to the base itself, close to each there is a deep transverse fossa which has a thick hind margin; it is moderately coarsely and rather distantly punctured; the dorsal impressions are well marked and elongate, and are separated by a nearly smooth space which is broader behind than in front, but not cariniform there. Scutellum small. Elytra oviform, twice the length of thorax, widest near the hind thighs, a good deal contracted posteriorly; at the base they are singly rounded, yet only gently, towards the suture, the humeral angles project forwards; they are deeply striate, with rather distant and not very definite punctures; the interstices have remote, minute serial punctures; on each elytron the
suture and adjoining interstice, as well as the cariniform 4th and 6th, do not quite reach the basal margin. Antennae with the 11th joint indistinct. Underside rufescent, shining, with rather coarse punctures, each with a minute seta; 5th ventral segment slightly concave, and almost as coarsely punctate as the others. A careful scrutiny of the base of the elytra will be an aid in discrimination. The anterior angles of the thorax are more acute than those of 1949, the lateral margins are thicker throughout, and the discoidal impressions are not at all sharply bordered. Length, 3½ mm.; breadth, 1¼ mm. Greymouth. Unique. Found by Mr. J. H. Lewis. Obs. — From the same source specimens were received of Sharp's P. longulus. If I am right as regards identification, the following notes will be useful to other students: Prosternum opaque and closely punctate; metasternum glossy, more coarsely but rather distantly punctured, medially sulcate behind; terminal ventral segment depressed or slightly concave, its frontal margin incurved, thus leaving a transverse depression at the apex of the penultimate. Size, nearly 4 mm. by 1⅕ mm. Group Bothrideridae. 3228. Bothrideres diversus sp. nov. Bothrideres Erichson, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 207. Elongate, almost glabrous, slightly nitid; black, legs and antennae rufescent. Head moderately finely, yet distinctly, but not very closely punctate. Eyes very prominent. Thorax of about equal length and breadth, apex subtruncate, its sides nearly straight from the rectangular anterior angles to beyond the middle, slightly narrowed behind, basal angles rectangular; it is more coarsely punctured than the head, more closely near the sides than on the middle, much more finely in front; there is a slight elongate central fovea with smooth lateral borders. Scutellum sparsely punctate. Elytra with rounded shoulders, broader than thorax at the base, thrice its length, their sides gently rounded; on each elytron there are 6 dorsal finely and rather distantly punctured but not always well-defined striae; the suture, as well as the 3rd and 5th interstices, are cariniform behind; the suture is finely punctate, as are also the plane intervals between the adjacent striae. Antennae with slender pubescence, basal 2 joints normal, both thick; 3rd evidently longer than broad; joints 4–8 about equal, as long as they are broad; 9th rather longer than its predecessor; 10th quite as long as broad, narrowed towards its base, at its apex not double the width of the 9th; 11th rotundate, rather narrower than the 10th. The club is usually composed of the abruptly enlarged transversal 10th and 11th joints, whereas in this species the 10th is subtriangular and, at its base, no broader than the extremity of the 9th, and the 11th, though rounded, is as long as broad. The insect is rather more slender than previously recorded species, and has more convex and prominent eyes. The few ash-coloured slender setae are hardly perceptible. Length, 3½ mm.; breadth, 1¼ mm. Wairiri, Kaikoura. One individual, along with a specimen of B. moestus (367).
3229. Cryptophagus amoenus sp. nov. Cryptophagus Herbst, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 224. Minute, elongate–oblong, moderately transversely convex, nitid; castaneo-rufous, legs and terminal joint of antennae fulvescent, remainder of these latter rufous; sparingly clothed with suberect pale flavescent setae. Head evidently narrower than thorax, not trigonal, the forehead subtruncate, it is smooth on the middle, moderately coarsely, proportionally, punctured at the sides, and with a series of coarse punctures across the occiput. Eyes convex, with distinct facets. Antennae inserted in front of and just below the margin of the forehead, 11-articulate; basal joint stout; 3rd rather longer than 2nd; 4th and 5th as long as broad and about equal, rather shorter than their predecessor; joints 6–8 rather smaller and moniliform; 9th rather narrower than 10th, but larger than 8th; 10th transverse; 11th conical. Thorax subquadrate, slightly and very gradually narrowed towards the obtuse front angles, its sides marginate but nowhere denticulate; base slightly bisinuate, with nearly rectangular angles, its length and breadth about equal; the surface, relatively, moderately coarsely punctate. Scutellum transverse, smooth. Elytra as broad as thorax at the base, almost twice its length, slightly narrowed posteriorly; with fine sutural striae, their punctation a little finer and more distant than that of the thorax, and becoming finer and less distinct behind. Tibiae somewhat dilated towards the extremity, unarmed. Tarsi quadriarticulate, the basal three joints of about equal length, each of these furnished with a slender elongate seta, the terminal rather longer than the others taken together, with distinct claws. A single specimen only of this minute insect has been secured. It is not a true Cryptophagus, neither does it agree with any of our Cucujidae, to which group nevertheless it will no doubt be transferred as the type of a distinct genus if other specimens can be obtained. Length, 1½ mm.; breadth, ½ mm. Makatote. Found amongst leaf-mould collected for me in February, 1910, by Mr. W. J. Guinness. Group Lathridiidae. 3230. Corticaria fuscicollis sp. nov. Corticaria Marsham, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 234. Variegate, head and thorax piceo-fuscous, elytra rufo-castaneous, more flavescent near the shoulders and apex, legs and anfennae infuscate, the knees and basal joints of the tarsi paler; pubescence yellowish, scanty, and suberect, most conspicuous near the shoulders and on the posterior declivity; slightly nitid. Head nearly as broad as the widest part of thorax, moderately coarsely but not closely punctate. Eyes prominent, occupying almost the whole side of the head from the point of antennal insertion. Antennae as long as head and thorax, with a few fine dark setae; basal joint subpyriform; 2nd not as stout, oviform; joints 3–8 slender, all longer than broad; club loosely articulated, the terminal joint largest, ovate. Thorax a little broader than long, rather wider near the front than elsewhere, its sides moderately rounded; there is a shallow impression near the front and
another near the base, close to the basal margin there is a transverse linear depression, its punctation is irregular and rather coarse. Scutellum small. Elytra oblong, much broader than thorax, the shoulders rounded but not at all elevated, sutural striae distinct, their relatively coarse punctures are nearly quite seriate, but become finer behind. Legs pubescent; anterior tibiae slightly bent near the extremity; tarsi slender, terminal joint quite as long as the basal two united. Our nearest species, C. terricola (2784), has a rather shorter, subovate hind-body, with distinctly raised shoulders. Length, 1½ mm.; breadth, ⅔ mm. Erua. January, 1910. One, found amongst dead leaves. Group Byrrhidae. 3231. Pedilophorus opaculus sp. nov. Pedilophorus Steffahny, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 244 = Morychus. Oval; moderately convex, glabrous, subopaque, head and thorax slightly shining; nigrescent, the legs and basal joints of antennae piceorufous, the terminal six joints infuscate. Head distinctly and moderately closely punctured, the labrum rather more coarsely. Thorax more than twice as broad as it is long, the sides gradually narrowed anteriorly, with their margins slightly thickened near the base, the apex finely margined behind the eyes, posterior angles rather more acute than the anterior; its punctation is just a little finer than that of the head. Scutellum triangular. Elytra of the same width as thorax at the base, somewhat broader near the middle, a good deal narrowed behind, their margins very distinct at the shoulders; along the middle of the disc the punctures are evidently finer than those on the thorax, they become even finer towards the sides, and on the hind slope the sculpture is finely coriaceous; on each elytron, near the suture, 3 irregular series of coarser punctures extend to beyond the middle, and between these and the side 4 or 5 irregular indefinite striae may be seen; none of these reach the base, which is more finely sculptured than the dorsum. Antennae elongate, joints 6–11 broader than the preceding four and distinctly pubescent, the 4th joint as long as the 5th. Tibiae very scantily and finely setose, the anterior grooved along their outer face, the intermediate less strongly curved externally than those of P. lewisi (2794), and tapering more towards the extremity. The membranous appendage of the 3rd tarsal joint is prolonged under the 4th. Underside slightly nitid, black, with very scanty, fine, ashy pubescence. Metasternum moderately coarsely punctured; the prosternal process rather broad, and, like the mesosternum, finely punctate. Trochanteral portion of the posterior coxal laminae rather longer than in 2794. Abdomen finely punctured, the 5th segment slightly convex and nearly smooth in the middle, with a feeble transverse impression behind. The dull elytra, with only very faintly viridescent sides, and cessation of perceptible punctures towards the posterior portion, will enable entomologists to separate this species from 2794, which is altogether more glossy and aeneous, rather smaller, with the 4th antennal joint shorter than those next to it. The underside also differs, the 5th ventral segment being shorter, with distinct yellow hairs and an apical fovea. In Pascoe's description of Liochoria huttoni there is no allusion to serial
punctures or striae on the elytra; it must therefore be distinct from this species and P. lewisi. Length, 8–9 mm.; breadth, 5 mm. Bold Peak, Wakatipu. Another of Mr. H. Hamilton's discoveries. Group Copridae. 3232. Saphobius lepidus sp. nov. Saphobius Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 255. Subquadrate, moderately nitid, bearing short, rather fine, flavescent setae, which on the elytral interstices are disposed in almost regular duplicate series; nigrescent or rufo-piceous, legs dark rufous, antennae and palpi rufo-testaceous. Head narrowed towards the front, bidentate there, rather coarsely and closely punctured. Thorax twice as broad as long in the middle, widely emarginate and with acute angles in front, the sides nearly straight for two-thirds of their length, then obliquely narrowed anteriorly, the base slightly rounded, its angles, nevertheless, nearly rectangular; with shallow oviform impressions rather than punctures, these are not very close, and each has a short seta proceeding from it, there is only a slight longitudinal depression behind. Elytra of exactly the same width as the thorax at the base, broadly rounded posteriorly, and covering the pygidium; on each there are 6 lines, which can hardly be termed striae. Tibiae finely setose, the anterior curvate, gradually dilated, obliquely truncate at the extremity and with acutely prominent external angles, there are 2 more denticles on the outer edge. Intermediate and hind tarsi well developed, the anterior slender and abbreviated, so that during repose they do not extend outwards as far as the external angle of the tibae. Antennae inserted below the sides of the head; their elongate basal joint, which is as long as the following five combined, is therefore partly concealed from above; 2nd conical, stouter than the 1st; 3rd and 4th small; 5th and 6th somewhat transversal; club moderate, pubescent, triarticulate. Underside shining, piceous, with minute setae, the sternum coarsely punctate, abdomen finely, metasternum nearly smooth on the middle. In other species the eyes, though not at all prominent, are quite discernible above; they extend downwards, and are situated at the back part of the head just inside the thoracic angles, but in this species they are almost invisible above, though well developed underneath; these organs, therefore, and the neatly arranged setae on the elytra, will enable this species to be identified. Length, head exserted, 4 mm.; breadth, 2½ mm. Erua, near Waimarino. Found amongst decaying leaves on the ground (elevation, 2,500 ft.), January, 1910; and sent during March by Captain H. S. Whitehorn, of the Geological Survey Department, amongst vegetable matter collected at the head of the Retaruke River, about five miles from Erua. Group Melolonthidae. 3233. Odontria nitidula sp. nov. Odontria White, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 265. Convex, subovate, shining; testaceous; the vertex, middle of thorax, and tibial teeth more or less infuscate; forehead rufo-castaneous, spar-
ingly clothed with decumbent, pale yellow, and outstanding elongate hairs, these latter chiefly confined to the sides. Head coarsely punctured, the forehead rather less so, with dark reflexed margins, which are obtusely rounded in front. Thorax only half as long as broad, apex widely emarginate; base distinctly margined, rather deeply bisinuate, so as to appear somewhat lobate, or obtusely prominent, in the middle, its angles obtuse, the sides gently curvedly narrowed towards the front; it is very distinctly punctate, but not as coarsely as the head, and is slightly impressed along the middle. Elytra nearly thrice the length of thorax, of the same width as it is at the base, much broader behind, apices subtruncate; the sutural striae moderately impressed, the others more or less indefinite, quite obsolete near the base, their punctation irregular, similar to that of the thorax. Antennae short; 2nd joint nearly as stout as the 1st, but shorter; 3rd and 4th of about equal length; 5th very short, simple; club triarticulate. Anterior tibiae tridendate. The somewhat glossy surface, pale colour, very distinct thoracic punctation, and the rather lobate base distinguish this from all the other species except White's Rhizotrogus zealandicus (474). In one example the elytra are slightly infuscate. ♀. Length, 12–14 mm.; breadth, 7–8 mm. Titahi Bay, Wellington. One from Mr. A. O'Connor. 3234. Odontria monticola sp. nov. Oblong, a little dilated posteriorly, opaque; light yellowish-brown, and, excepting the head, almost immaculate; the decumbent pubescence rather slender, pale greyish-yellow, the erect setae much more elongate and more scanty; head fusco-testaceous, the middle irregularly dark fuscous, as are also the outer edges of the anterior tibiae and all the tarsi. Head very sparingly and coarsely punctured, the reflexed margins of the clypeus gradually narrowed anteriorly and subtruncate at apex. Thorax with the breadth double the length, incurved in front, bisinuate at the base, posterior angles obtusely rectangular, its surface finely and rather distantly punctured. Elytra thrice the length of thorax, with slender striae, which are moderately definite behind but less so near the base; the seriate punctures are blackish, distinct, regular, and small, and are separated by intervals of about the same size as themselves; interstices plane, finely but not closely punctate; apices subtruncate; pygidium short, fuscous. Male.—Antennae short, their 1st joint stout, 2nd shorter, both dilated towards the extremity; 3rd elongate; the 4th nearly as much elongated as the 5th, which is just as long as the other leaflets; the club, consequently, is 5-articulate. Female.—Antennae short, their 5th joint very short and hardly at all produced; the club is therefore composed of three leaflets. Thorax more sparingly pubescent, so that the fine, though not close, punctation can be easily seen. Elytra with less nigrescent, less regular, but slightly coarser punctures, and therefore with less discernible linear sculpture than in the male, and with a few light-fuscous spots on some of the interstices. The stature is about the same as that of O. striata, but in it the dark lines and serial punctures on the elytra are distinct in both sexes, and the interstices have numerous large obvious dark spots Length, 16 mm.; breadth, 9 mm.
Bold Peak, Wakatipu. A pair, mounted on cardboard, forwarded for inspection by Mr. A. O'Connor, of Wellington. The male was captured by Mr. Howie, the female by Mr. H. Hamilton. 3235. Odontria similis sp. nov. Oblong, elongate, slightly convex, opaque; thinly covered with depressed, yellowish-grey, moderately short and slender hairs, and with coarser, elongate, and somewhat rufescent ones along the sides and on the head; the base of thorax also with elongate but much paler ones; legs fusco-testaceous. Head coarsely and very irregularly punctured, the back part and a large spot near each eye almost smooth, its rims reflexed and very slightly curved in front. Thorax of the usual form, twice as broad as long, moderately finely and not closely punctate. Scutellum sparingly punctured. Elytra slightly widened behind, apices very slightly rounded; they are of the same width at the base as the thorax, but fully thrice its length; the sutural striae are distinct and finely punctate, the others are shallow and indefinite, the interstital punctation is fine. Pygidium broadly obconical, medially angulate at the extremity, with shallow rugose sculpture. Similar in form to O. marmorata, the thorax and hind-body light brown, but both very irregularly and numerously maculate with dark fuscous, so that the insect appears much darker; the pygidium is pitchy brown instead of being somewhat testaceous; the head is dark shining brown, with a testaceous streak across it near the back. The breast is testaceous, finely and rather distantly punctate and pubescent; the abdomen is fuscous and more closely punctured. The labrum is more vertical and less prominent. The 5th antennal joint, though short, is rather more produced; the club is triarticulate. O. fusca (2518) has striate elytra. Length, 14 mm.; breadth, 8 mm. Mount Greenland, near Ross; elevation, 2,500 ft. Found by Mr. Hamilton. 3236. Costleya simmondsi sp. nov. Costleya Broun, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 1115. Broadly oval, moderately convex, nitid; nearly glabrous, having only a few slender setae on the head and along the sides, the pygidium and tibiae with coarser ones; the clypeus, elytra, and sides of thorax fusco-testaceous tinged with green; the back of the head and middle of thorax light fuscous; tibiae piceous, more or less viridescent, the outer edge of the anterior reddish; antennae pale castaneous, club opaque and nearly black. Head irregularly, coarsely, but not closely punctured; clypeus with somewhat reflexed margins, slightly medially incurved in front. Thorax nearly twice as broad as it is long, its sides finely rimmed, more narrowed in front than behind, its base strongly bisinuate, the apex deeply emarginate, front angles projecting beyond the middle of the eyes; its punctation coarse, not very close, but irregular; there is a median impression near the front. Elytra of the same width as thorax at the base, rather wider behind the middle, apices obtusely rounded towards the suture; with rather broad, closely punctured striae; interstices smooth, the 3rd, 5th, and 7th broader and more elevated than the others, their sculpture, however, becomes indistinct near the apices; the lateral margins are somewhat explanate almost to the extremity.
Antennae 8-articulate, basal joint largest, dilated towards the extremity, 2nd rather longer than 3rd and twice as stout, 4th longer than the preceding, gradually thickened, 5th very short but not broader than the 4th; club composed of 3 rather short equal leaflets. Differs from 1977 (C. discoidea) in coloration, by the coarse sculpture of the head and thorax, deep elytral striae and more costiform interstices, obviously tridentate anterior tibiae, and by the more elongated tarsal joints.' Length, 14 mm.; breadth, 8 mm. Mount Alpha, near Wellington; elevation, about 4,500 ft. Described from a specimen mounted on cardboard and sent for examination by Mr. Hubert Simmonds, of Wellington, in whose honour it has been named. Group Eucnemidae. 3237. Talerax dorsalis sp. nov. Talerax Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 279. Subparallel, moderately narrow, nitid; black; legs fuscous; the knees, tarsi, and apical margin of thorax castaneous; pubescence cinereous, slender, and elongate, slightly flavescent and thicker at the base of the thorax. Head almost as broad as the front of the thorax, feebly medially impressed, distinctly but not very closely punctate. Eyes large and prominent. Thorax a third broader than long, apical margin somewhat reflexed and broadly rounded, posterior angles robust, rather long, a little curved, not at all divergent; disc convex, distinctly yet rather finely but nowhere closely punctured. Scutellum minutely sculptured. Elytra as broad as thorax at the base, thrice its length, tapering very gently towards the extremity; the shoulders and each side of the suture, at the base, obtusely elevated, sutural striae indefinite but terminating near the apices in deep foveiform depressions, their punctation is coarser than that of the thorax and appears slightly rugose in some aspects, there are also some obsolete striae near the middle. Legs very finely pubescent; tarsi slender, simple, basal joint nearly as long as all the following ones, their penultimate joint with slender lobes. Antennae distinctly but not widely separated at the base; 1st joint stout and somewhat curved; 2nd very short and feebly rufescent; 3rd elongate, as long as the 1st; joints 4–10 subserrate, all longer than broad, the 4th, however, is shorter than adjoining ones; 11th elongate; they bear distinct infuscate pubescence. T. micans (2366) comes nearest, but is rather larger, its thorax is more glossy and irregularly punctured, so that the middle and other spots are almost smooth, the elytral sculpture is more definite, the basal elevations less so. Length, 3⅔ mm.; breadth, 1⅓ mm. Mount Pirongia. One captured by myself in December, 1909. Group Elateridae. 3238. Protelater diversus sp. nov. Protelater Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 304. Narrow, elongate, and shining, pitchy black, elytral base somewhat rufescent, the knees and claws pale castaneous; pubescence scanty, slender but distinct, greyish-yellow.
Head rather large, finely and irregularly punctate, with a pair of nearly smooth spots on the vertex. Eyes prominent. Antennae filiform, densely and finely pubescent, their 9th joint reaching backwards to the shoulder; 3rd joint slightly shorter than 2nd, these, together, about as long as the 4th. Thorax elongate, its length more than doubt the breadth at the middle, with rather thick and very divergent posterior angles, the anterior rectangular and with a pale transverse spot near each; its whole surface very distinctly and moderately closely punctured. Elytra elongate, tapering gradually towards the rounded apex; they are rather closely and coarsely punctate-striate, but less distinctly punctate near the base; interstices finely punctured, the 3rd and 5th more elevated behind than the others. Underside nigrescent, moderately punctate, with greyish pubescence. The species most resembling this, 1369 (P. nigricans) and 1990 (P. urquharti), may be readily separated, the former by the less divergent and rufescent thoracic angles and shorter, stouter antennae; the latter by the very fine thoracic sculpture, and by the striae being nearly obsolete on the basal half of the elytra. ♂. Length, 10 mm.; greatest breadth, 2½ mm. Mount Quoin. Found on dead trunks of Fagus, at an elevation of about 3,800 ft., by Mr. H. Simmonds, from whom a specimen has been received. 3239. Chrosis dubitans sp. nov. Chrosis Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 296. Robust, not parallel; pubescence distinct, pale brassy; nitid, rufopiceous, antennae nigrescent. Head moderately coarsely and irregularly punctured, with a nearly smooth space near each eye. Antennae finely pubescent, hardly attaining the base of thorax, 3rd joint rather longer than 2nd. Thorax of about equal length and breadth, gradually narrowed anteriorly, with carinate, robust, and slightly divergent basal angles; the sides, before the middle, are broadly yet slightly impressed, there is an elongate median impression near the base, and near the front an indistinctly elevated line, the disc is finely and rather distinctly punctured, but the sculpture becomes closer and more distinct near the sides and apex. Elytra rather deeply striate, the outer striae evidently punctate; interstices distinctly but not very closely punctured, the 2nd becomes obsolete behind the middle; apices rounded singly. Nearly allied to C. barbata (529), and perhaps only one of several varieties. It is distinguished by the rather distant sculpture of the thorax and the abbreviation of the 2nd elytral interstices. Length, 16 mm.; breadth, 5 mm. Mount Alpha, near Wellington. Found under stones, at an altitude of 4,700 ft., by Mr. H. W. Simmonds. 3240. Corymbites fulvescens sp. nov. Corymbites Latreille, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 299. Elongate, subparallel, nitid; fulvescent, the head, thorax, and basal five joints of the antennae reddish, legs testaceous, tibiae lighter than the tarsi; elytra densely clothed with slender yellowish hairs, the thorax more sparingly. Head densely punctured and distinctly pubescent. Thorax, in the middle, scarcely longer than broad, somewhat curvedly narrowed near
the front, subparallel behind; its basal angles finely carinate above and directed backwards, the anterior prominent but obtuse; the surface moderately closely and rather finely punctate, still more finely near the base; there is no median impression. Elytra thrice the length of the thorax, a little wider near the hind thighs than at the shoulders, their apices emarginate and minutely angulate; they are finely punctate-striate, with minutely sculptured interstices. Underside fulvescent, very finely clothed and punctured, the sternal structure similar to that of C. antipodum. Antennae filiform, attaining the base of the thorax, their 2nd joint quite half the length of 3rd. It may be readily identified by being more brightly coloured than any New Zealand member of the genus. C. antipodum (532) is its nearest ally, but the punctate elytral striae and the differently formed and less densely sculptured thorax are distinctive. Length, 14 mm.; breadth, 4 mm. Wairiri, Seaward Kaikouras. A single individual found by Mr. W. L. Wallace, of Timaru. 3241. Corymbites vitticollis sp. nov. Elongate, slightly nitid, fuscous; the elytra with a broad streak along the middle of each, and the suture somewhat rufescent; the thorax with a more definite and rather broad reddish median streak, its sides paler; legs and antennae testaceous; the clothing flavescent, rather dense, and coarser on the head and labrum than it is on the elytra. Thorax moderately convex, about a fifth longer than broad, in the middle, posterior angles indistinctly carinate and almost quite straight, its surface closely and moderately finely punctate. Elytra rather finely sulcate, the sutural pair of striae impunctate, the punctation of the others becoming coarser towards the sides, interstices closely and very finely punctured, the apices simple. Underside pale castaneous, but with the flanks of the prosternum testaceous and very distinctly punctured, metasternum medially sulcate, abdomen finely and closely punctate; with fine greyish-yellow pubescence. Antennae short, not attaining the base of thorax, their 2nd joint only a little shorter than the 3rd, which is rather shorter than the 4th. Tarsi elongate, their penultimate joint but little more than half the length of the 3rd. Distinguishable from C. strangulatus by its coloration, simple and less divergent thoracic posterior angles, differently formed antennae, &c. Length, 13 mm.; breadth, 3½ mm. Silverstream, near Wellington. A pair of mounted specimens received from Mr. A. O'Connor. 3242. Corymbites approximans sp. nov. Elongate, a little shining, castaneo-rufous, the legs and basal two joints of antennae testaceous, remaining joints infuscate; pubescence yellowish-grey. Thorax closely and moderately finely punctate in the middle, about a fifth longer than broad, with slightly divergent and finely carinate posterior angles. Elytra with narrow impuncate striae, interstices closely and finely punctured, apices simple. Underside rufo-fuscous, densely and finely punctate and pubescent, metasternum medially sulcate.
Antennae filiform and elongate, reaching backwards just beyond the middle femora, 2nd joint more than half the length of 3rd, the latter as long as the 4th. In some respects like C. antipodum (532), but differing from it in colour, &c. It is easily separable from C. vitticollis by the impunctate elytral striae. ♂. Length, 13 mm.; breadth, 3 mm. Silverstream. Also discovered by Mr. O'Connor. 3243. Corymbites sternalis sp. nov. Elongate, rather slender, slightly nitid; elytra fusco-rufous, the thorax of a lighter hue, with its sides and base subtestaceous, the legs, palpi, and basal two joints of antennae testaceous, the other joints fuscous; rather closely covered with slender yellowish hairs. Head very distinctly and closely punctured. Thorax slightly longer than broad, basal angles very slightly divergent, not perceptibly carinate; the surface closely and moderately finely punctate. Elytra with simple apices, the striae nearest the suture rather fine and impunctate, the outer ones distinctly yet rather finely punctured, the punctation of the interstices very fine and close. Antennae elongate, extending as far as the intermediate thighs, their 2nd joint fully half the length of the 3rd, which equals the 4th. Tarsi elongate, their penultimate joint well developed. Underside fusco-rufous, closely and very finely punctate, with slender greyish pubescence; flanks of prosternum testaceous, densely and rather finely punctured, saltatorial process fuscous. Rather smaller than 532, much more brightly coloured, its thorax differently shaped, not at all straight-sided. Length, 10 mm.; breadth, 2½ mm. Silverstream. The third species of this genus obtained by Mr. O'Connor within a limited area, and, so far as I know, not occurring elsewhere. Group Dascyllidae. 3244. Atopida basalis sp. nov. Atopida White, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., pp. 311 and 1141. Elongate, slightly nitid; head and thorax fusco-rufous, elytra castaneous with suffused dark marks, legs and palpi testaceous; antennae infuscate from the 4th joint onwards, 2nd and 3rd yellowish, the basal joint rufescent; clothed with decumbent yellowish hairs, those on the elytra coarser and greyish. Head large, including the slightly convex eyes, as broad as the front of thorax, closely and rather finely punctate-granulose. Thorax nearly twice as broad as long, base and apex subtruncate, with acutely rectangular angles, the anterior somewhat depressed, its sides sinuously narrowed behind, in one example strongly rounded at the middle; the sculpture dense, less close at the basal margin, not coarse, punctate-granulose. Scutellum triangular, elongate. Elytra evidently broader than thorax at the base and about four times its length, subparallel, slightly transversely impressed before the middle, irregularly but not coarsely punctured, with a tendency to become subgranulose near the shoulders.
Antennae reaching backwards to beyond the base of the elytra, their 1st joint stout, 2nd short and moniliform, 4th thicker than 3rd and quite as long. In A. sinuata (2524) a basal sinuosity near each side of the thorax causes the posterior angles to appear as if they were directed backwards; this is not the case in the present species, which, moreover, has more finely sculptured elytra, differently coloured antennae, and larger eyes. Length, 5½ mm.; breadth, 2¼ mm. Kaitoke, near Wellington. I am indebted to Mr. A. O'Connor for a pair of specimens. 3245. Mesocyphon mandibularis sp. nov. Mesocyphon Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 316. Robust, subdepressed, moderately nitid, unevenly clad with distinct yellowish pubescence; rufescent, the elytra with irregular fuscous and testaceous marks. Head densely and distinctly but not coarsely punctured. Eyes prominent. Mandibles elongate, more than half of their whole length exposed. Antennae elongate, rather stout, their 3rd joint almost as long and thick as the 4th; 5–10 about equal, their length about double the breadth, each narrowed towards the base; 11th oviform; they bear fine pubescence. Thorax a third broader than long, its apex slightly bisinuate, anterior angles rectangular and only a little deflexed; its sides nearly straight and distinctly margined, with nearly rectangular basal angles; its sculpture is like that of the head, but on a spot at each side of the interrupted median impression the punctures are more distant. Scutellum large, thickly pubescent. Elytra evidently wider than thorax at the base, gradually expanded backwards; on each, alongside the suture, there is a shallow basal impression which is curved outwards and becomes broader near the middle; there is also an indefinite discoidal costa; their punctation is rather finer than that of the head. There is no perceptible curtailment of the anterior portion of the head; the unusual exposition of the mandibles is caused by their length. It is rather larger than M. divergens (575), with a broader head, and impressed thorax and elytra. Length, 7½ mm.; breadth, 3¼ mm. Mount Alpha, Tararua Range. Several specimens found under a stone, at a height of 4,800 ft., by Mr. H. Simmonds, who presented me with a pair. 3246. Cyphon pachymerus sp. nov. Cyphon Payk, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 318. Subopaque, broadly oval, slightly convex; elytra densely clothed with inconspicuous, slender, cinereous pubescence; body smoky black, legs and basal two joints of antennae fuscous. Head short and broad, very minutely granulate. Antennae with the 3rd joint very small, yet rather longer than broad, 4th evidently larger than the following ones. Thorax strongly transverse, its sides but little rounded, their margins much finer than the basal, with subrectangular angles, the anterior somewhat deflexed, its sculpture like that of the head. Scutellum large. Elytra ample, without depressions, closely and finely punctured.
Femora incrassate, the posterior particularly; hind tibiae with a pale, very elongate terminal calcar. These two characteristics at once differentiate this species from its allies. In general appearance C. aethiops (1730) most nearly resembles it. An aberrant species, probably representing a distinct genus. Length, nearly 3 mm.; breadth, quite 1½ mm. Silverstream. Both of my specimens were discovered by Mr. A. O'Connor, of Wellington. Group Melyridae. 3247. Arthracanthus foveicollis sp. nov. Arthracanthus Broun, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 781. Elongate, slightly nitid; pubescence greyish, slender yet quite distinct; elytra, legs, and basal four joints of antennae more or less infuscate, tibiae rather more rufescent, remaining joints of antennae piceous, head and thorax nigrescent. Head slightly broader than thorax, with a large median fovea behind; it is finely and distantly punctate. Eyes large and prominent. Thorax of equal length and breadth, obtusely dilated laterally at the middle, distinctly but finely and rather distantly punctured, with a median linear impression in front, a basal fovea at the middle, and a shallow impression at each side. Scutellum distinct. Elytra elongate, subparallel, wider than thorax at the base; distinctly, moderately closely, and rugosely punctured. Antennae stout, not serrate, basal two joints thick, 3–5 moderately elongate and about equal, 6–10 similarly elongate, 9th and 10th somewhat triangular, 11th elongate-oval. Legs elongate, the basal joint of the anterior tarsi with a spiniform process at its front or inner angle. Female.—Occipital fovea absent. Basal joint of anterior tarsi very short, not distinctly spinose. The thoracic fovea is distinctive. Length, 2½ mm.; breadth, ⅔ mm. Akatarawa, Wellington Two specimens, mounted on cardboard, from Mr. A. O'Connor. Group Cleridae. 3248. Phymatophaea griseipennis sp. nov. Phymatophaea Pascoe, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 334. Elongate, subdepressed, with numerous erect, slender greyish setae, subopaque; nigrescent, but the elytra, with the exception of their basal portion, are yellowish-grey; antennae and tarsi infuscate. Head very closely and coarsely punctured. Thorax of about equal length and breadth, obtusely dilated laterally behind the middle, its punctation hardly as close and coarse as that of the head, finer in front, with a pair of smooth, slightly raised spots before the middle. Scutellum subtriangular. Elytra thrice as long as thorax, not twice its width at the base, rather wider behind, without inequalities of surface; evenly punctured, more coarsely but not quite so closely as the thorax. Legs pilose, anterior tibiae moderately curved. Tarsi with well-developed membranous appendages, claws thickened but not dentate. Eyes prominent, finely faceted, emarginate in front. Length, 5 mm.; breadth, 1¾ mm. Silverstream, near Wellington. A single specimen, from Mr. A. O'Connor.
3249. Parmius violaceus sp. nov. Parmius Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt. p. 331. Elongate, subdepressed, shining; violaceous, the tibiae and basal two joints of antennae fusco-testaceous, remaining joints and the tarsi darker, the front of the forehead and the clypeus pale yellow; the body and legs with numerous outstanding conspicuous pallid hairs Head, including the large prominent eyes, as broad as the middle of thorax, longitudinally bi-impressed in front; it is very irregularly, finely, and indistinctly punctured. Thorax of about equal length and breadth, a good deal dilated laterally near the middle; its surface apparently impunctate but finely transversely rugose, with an angular basal impression and a pair of small shallow foveae neai each side. Elytra a little uneven, with slightly elevated irregular rugae. Antennae rather short, their basal joint stout and evidently longer than 2nd; joints 3–8 differ but little, each longer than broad; club triarticulate, its intermediate joint cordate and hardly as long as the others. More robust than the representative species, 602. In this species, as well as 602, 603, and 2037, there is a more or less definite emargination of the eyes; the author's generic diagnosis therefore requires correction. Length, 6½ mm.; breadth, 2 mm. Mount Quoin. Described from a mounted specimen forwarded by Mi Hubert W. Simmonds. Group Anobiidae. 3250. Anobium inaequale sp. nov. Anobium Fabricius, Man. N.Z Coleopt., p. 339. Cylindric, uneven, variegate; fuscous, the base and the elevations of the elytra somewhat rufescent, legs and antennae rufo-piceous, tarsi obscure fusco–testaceous, vestiture unequally distributed, variegated, flavescent and greyish. Head vertical in front, slightly narrower than thorax. Eyes large and subrotundate. Thorax rather broader than it is long, somewhat constricted near the middle, apex slightly rounded, posterior angles obtusely rectangular; distinctly gibbous on the middle, its sculpture close and granular. Elytra rather broader than thorax, their apices individually rounded and not entirely covering the pygidium; with minute, dense, rugose, and granular sculpture, and series of punctures which are regulai along the sides but more or less interrupted on the dorsum; on each elytron, near the suture, there is a slight basal elevation, a narrower but more distinct elevation in line with the hind thigh, and a nodosity on top of the apical declivity; in advance of the last, but nearei the side, there is an oblique one; besides these, some smaller asperities are visible. Antennae elongate, basal joint stout, 2nd short, joints 3–8 inwardly serrate, 9–11 elongate, the 9th being almost as long as the preceding four combined. Tarsi gradually expanded, penultimate joint broadly excavate above, the 5th short and thick, dilated towards the extremity, so as to be of elongate-cordate contour, with thick claws. Macranobium truncatum (1613) is the only species that is at all similar, but the antennal structure is manifestly different. Length, 5 mm.; breadth, nearly 2 mm. Titahi Bay, Wellington. A single mounted specimen from Mr. A. O'Connor, and one, minus legs and antennae, received from Mr. Hubert Simmonds
3251. Anobium niticolle sp. nov. Cylindric, nigrescent, legs and antennae rufo–piceous; head and thorax moderately nitid, elytra dull, covered with fine and rather short cinereous pubescence. Head vertical in front, the occiput closely and minutely punctate. Eyes very prominent. Thorax moderately dilated laterally near the middle, base and apex gently rounded, its length and breadth about equal; there are no superficial inequalities, the middle of the disc is very sparingly punctured, the base distinctly and very closely, the apex much more finely. Scutellum quadrate. Elytra broader than thorax, elongate-oblong, apical margins moderately expanded; they are rather densely and minutely sculptured and rugose, and have humerous series of mode-late punctures. Antennae inserted in front of the eyes; basal joint stout; 2nd much smaller, yet longer than broad; 3rd longer than 2nd; joints 4–10 more or less serrate, each evidently longer than broad; 11th slightly longer than 10th, but hardly as broad as it is. Legs moderately elongate, intermediate femora distinctly thickened at the extremity. Tarsi gradually dilated, basal joint of the anterior as long as the following two combined, 4th deeply and widely excavate above and prolonged more than half-way under the 5th, which is short and thick, with stout, basally thickened claws. Described from a single specimen mounted on cardboard and smeared with gum, so that all the structural details could not be seen. It is therefore treated provisionally as an aberrant Anobium, from which, however, it may be readily separated by the structures of the antennae and tarsi. Length, 3½ mm.; breadth, 1½ mm. Silverstream. Discovered by Mr. O'Connor. Group Opatridae. 3252. Syrphetodes truncatus sp. nov. Syrphetodes Pascoe, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 351. Opaque, dark fuscous, elytral margins slightly rufescent, antennae and legs obscure rufous, tibiae indefinitely maculate, the palpi and terminal joint of the tarsi bright castaneo-rufous; the squamiform setae decumbent, very short, yellowish. Head with a smooth central spot, the forehead obtusely elevated in front so as to be on nearly the same plane as the antennary orbits; there is no perceptible sculpture. Thorax, in the middle, about a fourth broader than long, anterior angles acute and projecting as far as the centre of the prominent eyes, the apex medially deeply emarginate; its sides slightly sinuate and narrowed before the middle, with a shorter and deeper sinuosity behind, so that the posterior angles seem somewhat acutely prominent; disc obtusely and slightly raised, but not nodose, behind the centre, its sculpture fine and indefinite, apparently granular. Elytra oblong, their sides almost quite straight from behind the shoulders to the hind thighs, curvedly narrowed behind, the apices, nevertheless, are rather broad and obliquely truncate towards the suture, the base is evidently broader than that of the thorax, and there is a slight projection behind each rounded shoulder; their punctation is not quite seriate,
and a little coarser near the suture than elsewhere, their sides have several coarse, smooth foveae; on each elytron there are 4 distinct tubercular elevations; the 1st is basal, near the scutellum, the 2nd before the middle, the 3rd on top of the apical declivity; these are nearly in line; the 4th is placed just outside and a little in advance of the 2nd; there are 4 smaller ones near the 3rd, the innermost pair being near the suture. Underside fuscous, covered with short tawny setae. Intermediate coxae as far apart as the anterior pair, the posterior slightly more approximated. Basal ventral segment longer than the 2nd in the middle, cuneiform between the coxae, 4th rather shorter than 3rd, 5th simple. Epipleurae broad nearly to the extremity Antennae with short brassy setae, their basal joint twice as thick but not much longer than the 2nd, which is almost half the length of the 3rd, joints 4–8 about equal; club finely pubescent. A rather elongated species, with broad, obliquely truncate elytral apices, and unusually brightly coloured palpi. Length, 12 mm.; breadth, 5½ mm. Mount Quoin. My specimen was found by Mr. A. O'Connor. Group Diaperidae. 3253. Menimus lineatus sp. nov. Menimus Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 360. Oblong-oval, slightly transversely convex, nitid; nearly glabrous, there being only a few slender, erect, inconspicuous greyish setae on the hind-body; those on the forehead and legs, however, are more easily seen, as they are more elongate and flavescent; body somewhat infuscate piceo-rufous, the lateral margins and apical portion of elytra palei, legs, antennae, and palpi more or less ferruginous. Head smaller than thorax, finely yet quite distinctly but not closely punctured. Eyes minute Thorax a third broader than long, very slightly curvedly narrowed anteriorly, nearly straight behind, where the lateral margins are more expanded than they are in front; the apex is bisinuate, with obtuse angles; base subtruncate, closely applied to the elytra, its angles rectangular but not at all prominent; the punctation distant, and rather finer than that of the head; just in front of the fine basal margin and parallel to it there is a fine linear impression which appears more definite when examined sideways. Scutellum broadly triangular, finely punctate. Elytra twice the length of the thorax, of about the same width, but with the rather acute humeral angles extending just outside the hind angles of the thorax; they are gradually narrowed posteriorly, with a corresponding diminution of the lateral margins, which when looked at from above seem quite obsolete; their punctures are subseriate, rather coarser near the sides and suture than those of the thorax, and become indistinct behind. Antennae stout, rather short; 2nd and 3rd joints rather longer than broad, each evidently longer than the uncovered portion of the 1st; 4th quadrate; joints 5–7 of about equal length, but successively expanded, narrowed towards the base; 8th and 9th large, transverse, narrowed backwards; 10th large, subrotundate. Legs moderately slender; tibiae with minute terminal spurs; basal joint of posterior tarsi rather shorter than the 2nd and 3rd combined.
In shape intermediate between the elongated M. oblongus (656) and M. thoracicus (662) and the series of more thickset species, such as M. crassus, but separable from these by the linear impression across the base of the thorax. Length 3½ mm.; breadth, 1½ mm. Erua. Unique. January, 1910. Group Helopidae. 3254. Adelium complicatum sp. nov. Adelium Kirby, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 386. Elongate, subdepressed, glabrous, nitid; nigro-violaceous, legs inclusive; antennae and palpi fuscous; labrum fusco-rufous. Head uneven, irregularly and coarsely punctured, somewhat depressed and coarsely rugose between the eyes. Thorax distinctly margined, a third broader than long in the middle, its sides slightly founded from the obtuse front angles backwards, but near the base moderately narrowed and nearly quite straight, with rectangular angles; disc with a median linear impression from base to apex but not sharply defined, basal fossae somewhat indefinite and situated nearer to the sides than the middle; its punctation moderate and irregular; there are several slightly raised and depressed spots which cause the surface to appear uneven; the base and middle of the apex are nearly truncate. Scutellum subquadrate, transverse. Elytra more than double the length of thorax, slightly broader than it is at the base, nowhere more than a half broader; the shoulders strongly margined and a little curvate; they are gradually narrowed behind the posterior femora; their sculpture is complex, consisting of smooth, longitudinal, linear and irregularly curved elevations and minutely punctate intervals. Tibiae stout, curvate externally, the anterior most so near the extremity, the posterior above the middle, but below that part slightly twisted and laterally compressed. The general contour is intermediate between the parallel-sided series, such as A. zealandicum, and the broader A. bullatum, with the base of the thorax resting on the elytra. A. gratiosum (2055) is a much larger insect. In A. bullatum the elytral sculpture consists, to a great extent, of oviform elevations; these are not smooth, being more or less distinctly punctate. Underside piceous, feebly rugose, basal ventral segment very broadly rounded between the coxae. Length, 14 mm.; breadth, 4½ mm. Greymouth. Unique. Secured by Mr. J. H. Lewis over a year ago. 3255. Cerodolus curvellus sp. nov. Cerodolus Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt. p. 1161. Elongate-oval, moderately convex, glabrous, nitid; nigro-aeneous, elytra somewhat iridescent, the legs, antennae, and palpi rufo-castaneous. Head finely punctate, rather more distantly behind than in front; antennary orbits almost flat. Thorax fully a third broader than long, base distinctly bisinuate, its sides finely margined and gently curved, front angles rounded, the posterior obtusely rectangular; disc finely yet quite definitely but not closely punctured, and with a slight basal depression between the middle and each side. Scutellum short and
broad. Elytra slightly broader than thorax at the base, nearly thrice its length, a little wider just before the middle than elsewhere, considerably narrowed posteriorly, with well-developed margins, each elytron has eight series of moderate punctures, two of these are quite lateral, the three nearest the suture, behind the middle, are substriate; the interstices are finely punctured. Antennae scarcely as long as the head and thorax, joints 7–11 a little broader and more distinctly pubescent than the others, the exposed portion of the basal joint is much stouter than the 2nd but hardly at all longer, the next is longer than the 4th, the terminal elongate-oval. In C. chrysomeloides the elytral punctures are less numerous and quite foveiform. C. genialis (2059) more nearly resembles this species, in which, however, the anterior angles of the thorax are more broadly rounded and the sides almost evenly curved, the elytral punctures are nowhere coarse, and in 2059 the 4th antennal joint.is almost as long as the 3rd. The vestiture of the front tarsi is rather dense and nearly grey. Length, 8 mm.; breadth, 3⅔ mm. Advance Peak, Otago. One found by Mr. F. S Oliver, and sent to me by Professor Chilton. The pygidium is unnaturally distended and uncovered, owing to saturation with alcohol. Group Anthicidae. 3256. Cotes insignis sp. nov. Cotes Sharp, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 410. Elongate, subdepressed, clothed with slender fulvescent hairs, head and thorax shining, dark rufous; elytra, at the base, also rufous, of a pale chestnut-red across the middle, somewhat nigrescent behind, but light red at the apex; the legs, antennae, and palpi rufescent, tarsi yellowish. Head broader than the thorax, the vertex smooth, with a few indistinct punctures near the eyes. Thorax quite equalling in length the width of its basal portion, deeply constricted behind the middle, in front of the contraction it is subglobose, it exhibits no definite sculpture. Soutellum triangular. Elytra not double the breadth of the thorax, but more than thrice its length; rather finely yet quite perceptibly, but not perfectly seriately, punctured from the base to the hind femora, the posterior sculpture obsolete; there is a slight obtuse elevation on each at the base, and the pale central portion is very slightly depressed; the pygidium is uncovered, and nearly testaceous. Eyes large, prominent, and distinctly faceted Antennae stout, distinctly pubescent, reaching backwards to the middle thighs, their 2nd joint nearly as long as the 1st and more than half the length of the 3rd, the 11th scarcely any longer than the penultimate. C. rufa only, from Mokohinau Island, resembles this species; it is larger, but in 2072 the punctation of the wing-cases is much more distinct, and, before the middle, a broad area is covered with fine golden pubescence Length, 5½ mm.; breadth, 1¾ mm. Kaitoke, near Wellington. My specimen is another of Mr. A. O'Connor's novelties. In his specimen fine white hairs almost form a fringe across the dark part of the elytra.
Group Melandryidae. 3257. Hylobia plagiata sp. nov. Hylobia Broun, Man. N.Z. Coleopt. p. 403. Convex, very elongate oval, slightly nitid, fusco-castaneous, legs and antennae fusco-testaceous, tibiae half fuscous; each elytron with 3 obscure rufo-testaceous spots at the side, behind the middle; pubescence cinereous, very fine, rather dense, and lying close to the derm. Head of about the same width behind as the apex of thorax, deflexed, with flat eyes. Thorax a little broader than long, slightly rounded laterally, base bisinuate, with a depression between the middle and each side, its surface with minute transversal sculpture, which in some lights appears granular. Scutellum transversely quadrate. Elytra four times the length of thorax, of the same width as it is at the base, wider near the middle, acuminate posteriorly; their suture well marked and slightly rufescent, the sculpture similar to that of the thorax. Antennae elongate, 2nd joint rather shorter than 3rd, the following joints very gradually and slightly expanded, 9th and 10th subquadrate. Spurs of posterior tibiae closely pectinate, hardly as long as the basal tarsal joint. Anterior tarsi moderately elongate, basal joint nearly the length of the subquadrate 2nd and 3rd taken together, 4th subquadrate, angularly emarginate at apex, 5th rather longer than its predecessor, half its width; claws simple. Somewhat similar to H. calida (715), but readily distinguishable by the more elongate outline, separately acuminate and trimaculate elytra. Length, 5 mm.; breadth, 1½ mm. Hayward's, near Wellington One individual, mounted on cardboard, from Mr H. W. Simmonds. 3258. Hylobia guinnessi sp. nov. Convex, very elongate oval, covered with slender, depressed, ashy pubescence, subopaque; head and thorax castaneous, elytra of a chocolate hue, legs fusco-rufous, tarsi and antennae obscure testaceous, the joints of the hinder pairs of tarsi tipped with fuscous, palpi flavescent. Head finely punctured, rather distantly in front, its breadth about half that of the middle of thorax. Eyes moderately prominent, with coarse facets, gradually obliquely narrowed downwards. Thorax subtruncate at base, its sides gently curved, but, owing to the deflexed angles, appearing much rounded in front; the apex, in the middle, however, is nearly straight; the sculpture is fine on the disc, a little coarser at the sides, but ill-defined, it is a third broader than long as seen from above. Scutellum invisible. Elytra of same width as thorax at the base, but more than thrice its length, a little broader near the middle, attenuate posteriorly; the suture is slightly depressed, their sculpture is rather closer than that of the thorax and equally indefinite; there are no distinct punctures, granules, or transverse lines. Antennae inserted close to the front of the eyes, their 2nd joint more than half the length and thickness of the basal; 3–5 almost equal, each longer than 2nd; joints 7–10 a little dilated, 9th and 10th as long as broad, 11th slightly larger. Tibiae with short pubescence, the anterior slightly curved along the inner edge, with a rather thick calcar at the inner extremity; basal joint of the tarsi as long as 2nd and 3rd combined, 4th bilobed and cleft
nearly to the base, 5th as long as the preceding two, with simple slender claws. Spurs of posterior tibiae distinctly pectinate, as long as the dilated tibiae, but shorter than the basal tarsal joint. The prevailing indefinite sculpture and apparent absence of the scutellum are good distinguishing characters. Length, 4 mm.; breadth, 1½ mm. Makatote. Mr. W. J. Guinness, whose name is bestowed on this species, forwarded a package of leaf-mould which he collected near the viaduct in February, 1910. Besides some other rare species, one of this was found amongst the decaying leaves. [To be concluded in a subsequent volume.]
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Bibliographic details
Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 44, 1911, Page 379
Word Count
29,383Art. XL.—Descriptions of New Genera and Species of Coleoptera. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 44, 1911, Page 379
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