BY ARTHUR M. LEA. 233 



Melanterius aberrans, n.sp. 



Elliptic, moderately convex, somewhat shining. Dark piceous- 

 brown; rostrum, antennae and tarsi brownish-red. Clothed with 

 yellowish, stout, decumbent setae, denser and more regular on legs 

 and under surface than elsewhere, on the elytra forming feeble 

 spots; head and basal fourth of rostrum clothed. 



Head very small; densely punctate, punctures almost concealed; 

 eyes almost i-ound, separated for the width of rostrum at base. 

 Rostrum very long, thin, moderately curved, near base and apex 

 slightly but sensibly dilated in width; sparsely punctate, punc- 

 tures of moderate size near base, rather smaller towards apex, 

 nowhere in grooves. Antennae thin ; scape decidedly shorter 

 than funicle, inserted nearer base than apex of rostrum ; two 

 basal joints of funicle elongate, 1st longer than 2nd; club small, 

 elliptic. Prothorax almost as long as wide, apex half the width 

 of base, base bisinuate, sides subparallel towards base; densely 

 and strongly punctate, punctures scarcely confluent but some- 

 what obscured by clothing ; without median line. Scutellum 

 small and oblong. Elytra about once and one-half the width and 

 thrice the length of prothorax, shoulders rounded, sides sub- 

 parallel to apical fourth ; seriate-punctate, punctures large, of 

 irregular outline and feebly connected; 3rd, 5th and 7tli inter- 

 stices acutely ridged except on basal third. Mesosternal plate 

 depressed, concave, anterior edges acutely raised. Metasternwm 

 depressed in middle, densely punctate; episterna each with a single 

 row of punctures at base but becoming double at apex. Abdomen 

 densely and regularly punctate; except that those of the three 

 apical segments are somewhat smaller; intermediates combined 

 slightly shorter than 2nd and slightly longer than 5th. Legs not 

 very long ; femora strongly grooved and feebly dentate ; tibiae 

 densely and not seriately punctate. Length 5i, rostrum 2^; 

 width 2^ mm. 



Hab. — Q. : Rockhampton (type in Macleay Museum). 

 An aberrant species as regards the insertion of scape, but in 

 all other characters conformable to the genus. 



