228 Arthur M. Lea : 



with rows of very small punctures, but beLOuiing moderately 

 large towards the base in the fourth and fifth rows, and some- 

 times in the third ; interstices with spai'se and extremely small 

 punctures. Legs rather short and stout. Length 7 — 7^^ mm. 



Hah. — Queensland : Cape York, three found together in a 

 large nest of white ants (H. EJgner), Somerset (C. French) ; 

 Darnley Island (Elgner). 



The outlines are much as in ausfrali-^, but the markings are 

 very different. The upper surface of the head is black ; the 

 prothorax is red, with a moderately large, irregular, trans- 

 versely oblong, medio-basal black patch, and the margins nar- 

 rowly blackish ; the scutellum is black ; the elytra are black, 

 but each with two large red patches, one subbasal and not 

 quite touching the side and narrowed towards, but not touch- 

 ing, the suture ; the other postmedian, and more fa-sciate in 

 appearance, but not quite touching the side or suture. The 

 under surface and legs are reddish, the former feebly stained in 

 the vicinity of the legs. The antennae are of a rather dark 

 red. with the club somewhat darker. 



That' such a typically fungus beetle as an Episcaphula 

 should be found in a white ants' nest is surprising ; but Mr. 

 Elgner also sent larvae of another species as fi'om a white ants' 

 nest, and another species of the family is here recorded as from 

 a true ants' nest. 



Var. siihapiralis, n.var. 



Two specimens (from Somerset and Darnley Island) differ 

 from the typical ones only by having an additional subapical 

 spot on each elytron. 



The elytra! markings of this variety, although not quite the 

 &ame, are somewhat as in nigrnfasciata, but that species is 

 considerably less convex, the seriate punctures on the elytra 

 larger and more regular, the interstices with quite distinct, al- 

 though small, pvmctures, and the width at the junction of the 

 prothorax and elytra considerably less. 



CORTLOPHIDAE. 



.V single very minute specimen, apparently belonging to the 

 genus Orthoperua, was taken from a nest of Colobopsis gasseri 

 at Launceston. 



