284 



DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN 

 COLEOPTERA. 



By Arthur M. Lea. 



Part III. 



TENEBRIONID^. 



Pterohel.eus Darwini, n.sp. 



Elliptic, convex, subnitid. Piceous; under surface piceous- 

 brown. Head minutely punctate; prothoi-ax and elytra with very 

 minute punctures, the latter with very feeble traces of striae 

 towards the base; under surface and legs with very minute punc- 

 tures, those on the legs more distinct; abdomen feebly longitu- 

 dinally strigose. Apex of tibiee and tarsi with dense, reddish- 

 brown, short setpe. 



Head large; clypeus broad, very feebly emarginate, sides 

 oblique, not at all reflexed, its suture with epicranium indistinct 

 except at sides; feeble trace of a groove between eyes. Prothorax 

 transA'erse, at base wider than elytra; margins flat, moderately 

 wide, widest at base; angles acute, posterior slightly projecting 

 on to prothorax, anterior passing eyes; disc from almost every 

 direction without trace of median line. Scutellum widely trans- 

 verse, feebly raised. Elyti"a soldered together, narrowing from 

 base to apex, margins narrow, flat and feebly raised about the 

 middle. Wings rudimentary. Legs moderate; three basal joints 

 of anterior tarsi dilated (especially in ^), 4th joint very small, 

 the two apical slightly longer than the three basal, intermediate 

 longer, two apical shorter than three basal; basal joint of posterior 

 very long. Length 16, width (at base of prothorax) 9| mm. 



Hah. — Dongarra, West Australia (two specimens I'eceived from 

 Mr. G. W. Ward). 



A pecuUar looking species, which I look upon as the most 

 interesting in the whole subfamily. It evidently belongs to 



