BY ARTHUR M. LEA. 



249 



and with finer punctures; in colour it is of a dark chocolate-brown, 

 the elytra, rostrum, and antennae being brownish-red. 



Neomelaxterius carinicollis, Pasc; I.e. No. 5394 



{Melanterius carinicollis, Pasc.) 



Broad, ovate, subdepres.sed, feebly shining. Dull reddish- 

 brown; antennas (club excepted) paler. Upper surface with rather 

 sparse, elongate, yellow, curved sette, condensed on shoulders and 

 forming a small spot on each side of scutellum. Legs rather 

 densely, the sides of head and rostrum rather feebly clothed. 



Head somewhat obsoletely punctate ; eyes reniform, almost 

 touching beneath. Rostrum long, thin, and cylindrical, curved 

 throughout ; punctate to apex, the punctures in grooves, 

 leaving five elevated ridges of which the median is rather wide. 

 Scape almost as long as funicle and club combined, inserted one- 

 fourth from apex of rostrum; two basal joints of funicle equal in 

 length, the 7th with a little of the club's sensitised pubescence. 

 Prothorax slightly transverse; sides about middle and the base 

 rounded; disc with numerous carinse as long as but less elevated 

 than a very distinct median carina which is terminated just 

 before base and apex. Scutellum narrow and oblong. Eh/tra 

 subcordate, across shoulders (which are slightly rounded) almost 

 twice the width of prothorax; seriate-punctate, punctures large, 

 suboblong, not approximate, feebly connected by shallow grooves; 

 alternate interstices shining and acutely ridged. Met aster num 

 and two basal segments of ahdomen with large, perfectly round 

 punctures; episterna each with a single row of small punctures; 

 intermediates combined the length of 2nd or apical, each with a 

 row of small seta-bearing punctures; apical segment densely punc- 

 tate. Femora, especially the posterior, strongly dentate, each 

 with a small tooth in emargination ; posterior not extending to 

 apex of abdomen; tibiae thin, compressed, seriate-punctate, curved 

 at base Length 5i, rostrum 2|^; width 3 mm. 



Hah.—Q.: "Cape York" (Pascoe), Port Denison (Macleay 

 Museum). 



A very distinct and easily recognisable species. 



