230 REVISION OF THE GENUS PAROPSIS, 



P. BEATA, Newm. {ruhrosignata, Bohem.; vai'. testaceiceps, Black b.) 



Var. ruhrosignata, Boliem. — I have examined a good many 

 specimens of this insect, and cannot find any reason to regard it 

 and heata, and also another form described below, as anything but 

 varieties of a species that assumes very widely diverse colour and 

 markings, and even presents some puzzling uncertainties of sculp- 

 ture. The constant characters are : form moderately convex, the 

 males subcircular, the females broadly ovate — sculpture very fine 

 throughout with seriate and interstitial puncturation of el^'tra 

 not or scarcely different inter se, the elj'tra non-striate in the 

 males, but usually with obsolete scratch-like striae in the females; 

 prothorax with a large moderately deep fovea on either side 

 widely remote from the lateral margin; four anterior tai'si of 

 males with the basal joint well dilated; apical ventral segment 

 of male feebly declivous hindward at extreme apex with its hind- 

 margin subtruncate; head more or less red, sides of prothorax 

 and elytra always red or yellowish-red, the latter bearing red or 

 testaceous blotches on the disc, which are normally 3 (never 

 more) on each elytron, but coalesce in almost infinitely various 

 ways (in an extreme var. uniting to form one large blotch occupy- 

 ing the whole disc). In Victorian examples the underside and 

 legs are usually black, the elytral red margin evenly continuous 

 to the apex and the elytral blotches all isolated (this is beaLa, 

 Newm.). In examples from N.S. Wales the elytral red margin 

 usually emits a small vitta running obliquely for a short distance 

 up the hind declivity of the elytron, and the posterior two discal 

 blotches usually coalesce into a fascia reaching neither the suture 

 nor the lateral margin, the underside moreover tending to become 

 pitchy rather than black, and the legs more or less ferruginous 

 (this is ruhrosignata, Bohem.). The following is the form found 

 in N.W. Australia : — 



Var. testaceiceps, Blackb. Testacea, prothorace (hujus lateribus 

 exceptis) elytrisque piceis vel rufopiceis, his ut F. ruhrosig- 

 natce pictis. 



