1019.] 223 



Oncosalpingiis podagricus, n. sp. 



Elongate-oval, setw^e, piceous, with yellow markings on the eWtra and 

 the base of the antennae, the palpi and legs testaceous. Head about as long- 

 PS its width across the eyes, the latter being distant more than their own width 

 from the front of the thorax. Thorax a little longer than wide, subcordate, 

 with a pair of extensive though shallow depressions before the base ; the disc 

 moderately strongly and closely punctate. Elytra elongate-ovate, sliglitly 

 wider behind the middle ; shoulders rounded, subrectangular ; lateral margins 

 visible from above, except at the shoulders; disc with an oblique transverse 

 depression behind the base ; strongly, rather irregularly seriate-punctate, the 

 punctures becoming smaller behind and each bearing a suberect hair ; they 

 have a large, dark, triangular, common basal spot, a postmedian dark band of 

 somewhat zigzag form, with a large backwardly-directed flexure on each, and 

 a common dark triangular apical patch, the ground-colour being yellowish. 

 Tlie sexual characters of the posterior legs have been noted above under the 

 generic diagnosis. 



Length 4-4| mm. 



Hab. Chile {Beed). 



Three examples, all c? c? , in the Fry collection. They closely 

 resemble Salpingus variegatus Fairm. et Germ., also from Chile, in 

 the elytral markings, but are very much larger, the head is more elon- 

 gate, particularly behind the eyes, the puncturation is stronger, and the 

 pubescence shorter, especially that of the antennae. Of S. variegatus 

 there is only one specimen, marked "type," in the Museum collection. 

 On account of the above-noted, points of difference, this can scarcely be 

 the $ of 0. podagricus, but it may possibly have to come in the same 

 genus. 



14. Sphaeeiestes Steph. 



In its unrestricted sense an extensive genus of world-wide distribu- 

 tion. Mulsant, in studying the European species, separated two genera, 

 \'iz. , Haboceriis [type, jS. inutilatus Beck (= S. Jhveolafiis Muls. nee 

 Ljungh.*)] and Colposis (type, *S'. virescens Muls.) ; later, Pic proposed 

 a subgenus, Pseudorahocerus, for Rahocerus lederi Reitt., an insect 

 vinknown to me ; and more recently Reitter has formed the subgenus 

 Salj)ingelhis for Sphaeriestes ater Payk. and S. reyi Ab. The value 

 of this latter division seems to me very dubious, some of the palae- 

 arctic species occupying an intermediate position between the two 

 (e. g. ^S'. aeratus Muls. and 8. impressus Woll.) Of the numerous 

 exotic forms, especially those from New Zealand and Madagascar, too 

 few are known to me to warrant the formation of new genera, and for 

 the present I must retain them all under Sphaeriestes sensu lato. 



» Cf. Blair. Ent. Mo. Mag. (a) iv, 1918, \)\i. 7T-81. 



