150 [J»iy> 



Phalysius, n. gen. 



Head short, obliquely narrowed behind the eyes, without definite frontal 

 groove, the antennae inserted beneath the feebly raised orbits, short ; eyes 

 large, entire, finely facetted, not very prominent ; terminal joint of maxillary 

 palpi oval, obliquely truncate at tip ; prothorax short, rounded at the sides 

 anteriorly, without lateral carina, sharply grooved along the bisinuate basal 

 margin to near the hind angles, and witli a short notch extending forward from 

 the groove near its point of termination ; scutelhim rounded ; elytra long, con- 

 fusedly punctate, the epipleura nearly reaching the apex ; anterior coxae con- 

 tiguous, the cavities open behind ; intermediate coxae well separated, the 

 cavities closed externally by the sterna ; legs short ; tibiae with minute spurs ; 

 tarsi narrow, the peniiltimate joint lobed, the claws angularly dilated in their 

 basal half ; ventral segments 1-3 sub-equal in length, 2 with a tuft of hairs in $ . 



Type : P. caeruletis. 



The Perak insect referred to this genus is nearly related to Cono- 

 morplius, differing from the latter in its less developed head, smaller 

 eyes, much shorter prothorax, much less elongate body, etc. ; it is there- 

 fore probable that at least one of the three Malayan forms {C. curticollis) 

 placed by Pic under Co7wmorphus may belong here. Etir^jpinus, based 

 on a single species from Central Africa, has the sharply-defined trans- 

 verse basal grove of the prothorax replaced by two deep foveae and a 

 longitudinal median excavation, the prothorax itself transversely 

 quadrate, and the intermediate coxae less approximate. The open 

 anterior coxal cavities separate Phalysius from all the Tenebrionids. 



1. — Phalysius caeruleus, n. sp. 



Elongate, rather narrow, moderately convex, more widened posteriorly in ? 

 than in J , shining ; caeruleous or obscure caeruleous, the head in front and 

 beneath, the knees, and tarsi more or less rufescent, the antennae (the basal 

 joint excepted) and palpi piceous ; above and beneath densely, very finely, 

 uniformly punctate, and finely cinereo-pubescent. Eyes separated by about 

 their own width. Antennae very short, slender, joint 3 a little longer than 

 4, 5-10 transverse, 11 ovate. Prothorax much broader than long, transversely 

 convex, a little wider than the head, rounded at the sides anteriorly, and slightly 

 narrowed behind, the hind angles sub-rectangular. Elytra moderately elongate 

 considerably broader than the prothorax, obsoletely grooved, but without trace 

 of striae, the suture depressed before the apex, the latter rounded. Ventral 

 segment 2 with a small, backwardly directed, tuft of fulvous hairs in the middle 

 in (? , and 2-4 each with a minute, oblong, darker tuft near the apex in $ . 

 Length S-SJ-, breadth If-lf mm. 



Hob.: Perak {Boherty). 



