61 



REVISION OF AUSTRALIAN SPECIES OF THE SUB- 

 FAMILIES GYPHALEINJE AND CNODALONIN.E. 



(Fani. TENEBRIONIDiE). 



By H. J. Carter, BA., F.E.S. 

 (Plates vi.-vii.) 



The Cyphaleinse are almost entirely Australian, the only 

 recorded exceptions being (a) the species of the genera Crypsis 

 and Artactes from the Indo-Malayan Islands and Japan; (b) two 

 species from New Guinea, described by Macleay as Prophanes, 

 but which I consider to be Cyphaleus; and (c), a single species, 

 Cyphaleus valdivianus Phil., from Chili. It is extremely pro- 

 bable that more will come to light as the fauna of New Guinea 

 is more thoroughly investigated, while the single link with South 

 America is an interesting fact of distribution. Its members 

 include the handsomest of all the Tenebrionidae, but endowed 

 with strong powers of flight; and their habits and life-histories 

 being almost unknown, comparatively few specimens are to be 

 seen in ordinary collections. The subfamily presents strong 

 evidence of belonging to an ancient but disappearing race, with 

 its man}' genera and few species, and these sometimes not very 

 closely related to one another. 



The Cyphaleince are distinguished from the Tenebrionince by 

 the following characters. Head flat, more or less enclosed in the 

 thorax, eyes large and transverse, mandibles bifid at the ex- 

 tremity, antennae generally long, with joints G-10 successively 

 enlarged. Prothorax generally Insinuate at apex and base, with 

 the anterior angles well produced; the prosternum is in general 

 strongly compressed or carinate, its process received behind into 

 a wide cavity of the mesosternum. The intercoxal process wide, 

 oval, or angular, tibiae with short spines, not usually enlarged at 

 apex, tarsi long. 



