492 A REVISION OF THE STAPHYLINIDiE OP AUSTRALIA, 



Widely distributed throughout the old world. 



The different species are found in carrion, in decaying vegetable 

 matter, or flying in the sunshine. There is, I believe, only one 

 species at present known from Australia. 



138. Creophilus erythrocephalus. 



Staphylmios erythrocephalus, Fabricius, Syst. Ent. p. 265 ; 

 Erichson, Gen. Staph, p. 351 (ISiO).— Creophilus erythrocejjhalus, 

 Nordmann, Symb. Staph, p. 23 (1837). 



Black, depressed ; head red, with a large round black spot in 

 the front on the disc ; prothorax shining; elytra tinged with blue. 



Head shining, extremely finely and sparingly punctured, a 

 setigerous puncture on the inner orbital margin of each eye. 

 Antenntie greatly thickened towards the extremity; joints 4-6 

 slightly transverse, 7-10 more decidedly transverse, gradually 

 widening, 11th much longer than the preceding, compressed at the 

 apex. Prothorax broadly transverse, somewhat narrowed behind, 

 the sides sinuate behind the middle ; the posterior angles strongly 

 rounded. Scutellum densely punctured, thickly clothed with lon» 

 black pubescence. Elytra black, tinged with steel-blue, somewhat 

 shining, moderately strongly and closely punctured, covered with 

 black pubescence ; the shoulders rather prominent, shinino-, 

 impunetate. Abdomen irregularly and rather closely punctured, 

 the pubescence distinct. Legs black. Length 14-19 mm. 



Barron River, Gayndah, Brisbane, Queensland ; Mossgiel, 

 Darling River, Lithgow, Penrith, Sydney, Kiama, Mulwala, New- 

 South Wales ; Melbourne, Victoria ; Adelaide, Ardrossan, 

 Fowler Bay, South Australia; King George's Sound, Swan 

 River, West Australia ; Lord Howe Island ; Norfolk Island ; also 

 recorded from New Caledonia, Tonga, &c. 



An abundant and widely distributed species resembling the 

 European Creophilus maxillosus in habits. 



var. LANio, Erichson, Gen. Staph, p. 352 (1840). 



