BY THE REV. T. BLACKBURN. 73 



prothorax, and by the absence of the dark patch or spot which in 

 the latter species seems to be invariably present on either side of 

 the scutellum. 



N.S. Wales ; Blue Mountains. 



ECTROMA BENEFICUM, Newm. 



I do not know any species to which the very brief description of 

 this insect applies quite satisfactorily. De Chaudoir states that 

 it is a congener of E. ( Lehia) civicum, Newm., and also that Lebia 

 duponti, Putz., is conspecific with it. There appears to me to be 

 probably a clerical or printer's error in the description of the 

 latter, which states that a pale vitta runs from the shoulder 

 towards the suture of the elytra, and then turns and runs up the 

 elytra again " versus marginem," and also that independently of 

 this the margin is entirely testaceous. It is difficult to understand 

 how there can be room for all this marking outside the shoulder. 

 If " versus marginem " were " versus suturam," the description 

 would apply very satisfactorily to one of the varieties of an 

 extremely variable species which is clearly, I think, congeneric 

 with Lebia civica, Newm., and is very widely distributed in 

 Australia. I believe that Lebia benefica, J^'ewm., and Cymindis 

 inquinata, Er., are both varieties of this species. Also I believe 

 Sarothrocrepis liturata, Macl., to be another variety of the same. 

 I fear it is impossible, however, to arrive at any certainty 

 regarding Newman's and Erichson's species mentioned above. 



The species before me, and of which I take the above mentioned 

 to be varieties, is inconstant in size and markings. It varies from 

 long. 2^, lat. 1 line to long. 3, lat. Ig lines. A darkly coloured exam- 

 ple (such as Lebia daponti might have been founded on) has the 

 head, prothorax and the antennae rufo-testaceous (the prothorax, 

 however, having a somewhat semicircular blackish mark on the 

 middle portion of its front). The elytra may be regarded as 

 blackish, — in which case the lateral margins (narrowly), the apex 

 (widely) and two vittse which unite on the base and also on the 

 ■disc at about half the length of the elytra (enclosing an oblong 



