Auatraliam Gistelidae. 63 



me, four of each showed little, if any difference. I think it 

 extremely likely thai .1. affinit, Blackb., is only another variety, 

 but not having seen any authoritative specimen, I must withhold 

 any opinion on this. My specimens are largely from the Blackburn 

 collection, kindly lent by Mr. A. M. Lea. 



C. (atractus) vittipennis, Macl. — A species generally easy to 

 identity, from its large size, and the ninth antennal joint clear 

 yellow, the others being black (except the basal joints). Two smaller 

 insects from Cairns are probably males of this species, and are 

 without this yellow joint, a fact noticed by Macleay. 



SynatractuS variabilis, Macl. (misspelt syntractus in the Junk 

 catalogue), is well named, and exhibits more than the usual colour 

 variations of this group, the elytra being red, black or variegated, 

 the thorax always red. The species is readily determined by its 

 marked antennal characters, as well as by the distinct but small 

 basal angles of the prothorax, formed by the raised collar-like 

 basal margin. 



Hemicistela discoidalis, Blackb., is apparently a common insect 

 in New South Wales and Victoria. It has very much the facies of 

 apellatus, from which it differs in its transverse round-sided pro- 

 thorax. I have specimens taken near Sydney, identical with a 

 co-type in the South Aus. Mus. Having examined it under a Zeiss 

 binocular, I find it has one-pointed mandibles — not bifid — as sur- 

 mised, but not ascertained by Blackburn (Trans. Roy. Soc. , S.A., 

 1891, p. 332). 



Chromomoea ornata, n. sp. 



Ovate, depressed, clothed with short, recumbent hair; head, 

 antennae (except apical joints),- underside, tarsi and legs (except 

 middle part of front femora) black; prothorax red, elytra red with 

 a large circular macula behind scutellum, and the apical third 

 black; apical joints of antennae and middle part of front femora 

 red. Head strongly produced in front, narrower than prothorax, 

 eyes moderate, not prominent, surface closely punctate, antennae 

 with joint 3 scarcely longer than 4, cylindric; 4-10 subtriangular 

 and successively shorter, 11th oval, narrower than 10. Prothorax 

 trapezoidal, slightly wider at base than at apex, truncate at both, 

 sides straight, rounded anteriorly, subrectangular behind, medial 

 line impressed throughout and foveate at base, recumbent hairs on 

 surface lying transversely on each side of medial line. 



Scutellum black, small and round. Elytra wider than prothorax 

 at base, ovate and rather flat, widest behind middle, apex bluntly 



