1878.] 



4^ 



NEW COLEOPTERA FROM NEW ZEALAND. 

 BY D. SHAKP, M.B. 



Among some Coleoptera that I liave recently received from New 

 Zealand, there are a few interesting species which I think may be 

 named and charactei'ized with advantage : as they are either species 

 closely allied to known ones so as to be readily identified, or else 

 forms so entirely new that they cannot be mistaken for anything else. 



They are : — Demetrida moesta (^Garahidcs) ; Braclufpeplus hrevi- 

 cornis, Epui'CBa zealandica, and Soronia optata {Nitidulidce) ; Brounia 

 thoracicn, an isolated form, that cannot, I consider, be placed with 

 advantage in any of the families of Coleoptera ; Pericoptus stupidus 

 {I)ynastid(S) ; Gilibe Suttoni and Choerodes concolor {Tenehrionidcs) ; 

 Hhipistena luf/iilris (^Evaniocerides, but connecting them with Mordel- 

 listena) ; Souiafidia longipes {Ceramhijcidcd) , and Cryptodacne syntlietica 

 {Erotylidce) ; Brounia, Rhipistena and Cryptodacne are new generic 

 names. 



"We are indebted to Professor Hutton, of Dunedin, and Captain 

 Thos. Broun, of Whangarei, for the discovery of most of these insects. 



Demetrida M(esta, n. sp. 



Depresshiscula, sat nitida, nigra, j^f'dihus fere concoloribns, antennis ru- 

 fescentibns, articnlis 1" et 3" infuscatis ; prothorace sat lato,obsolethis trans- 

 i^ersim strigoso ; eJytris subtiliter (fere obsolete) striatis, apice oblique, vix 

 sinuatim, truncatis. Long. 6| mm., lat. 2| mm. 



This seems very distinct from the other described species ; it is 

 rather broad, and in its form resembles T>. picea, but the thorax is 

 even more quadrate than in that species ; the elytra have no im- 

 pressions, and their apex is not so straight as in D. picea, the species 

 being in this respect intermediate between D. picea and D. nasuta. 



A single individual has been sent from Otago, by Professor Hutton. 



Brachtpeplus brevicornis, n. sp. 



Depressns, sub-oblongus, parallelus, niger, antennis 2>edibns elytrorumque 



parte basali rufis, his apice latefuscis, subfiis griseo-pubescens, supra nigra- 



p^ibescens, sed pubescentia ad basin elytrorum et abdominis grisea. 



Long. 3i — 3 J mm., lat. \\ mm. 



The antennae are short and rather stout, red in colour, the jomts are short, the 



2nd and 3rd being each only a little longer than broad, while the following are 



not so long as broad. The head and thorax are densely and finely punctured ; the 



latter is strongly transverse, nearly straight at the sides, but distinctly narrowed in 



front, the hind angles rectangular and very definite ; the colour at the sides is more 



dilute. The elytra have the basal part rufescent, the apical blackish, the limit 



between the two colours is indefinite ; their sculpture is fine and indistinct, and con- 



