46 July. 



SOME NEW SPECIES AND GENERA OF COLEOPTERA FROM NEW 



ZEALAND. 



BY D. SHAKP, M.B. 



Mr. Richard Helms, of Grey mouth, New Zealand, has seut to me 

 recently a small parcel of Coleoptera, containing a few interesting 

 novelties. Of these I have selected three or four as specially suited 

 to be made known by means of isolated descriptions, and I have 

 added to these descriptions two others introducing fresh genera to the 

 New Zealand fauna. These forms are: — 1. Anchomenus Hehnsi, n. 

 sp. {Car abided); 2. Necrophilous prolongatus, n. sp. (Silphidcd)', 3. Zeaty- 

 rus (nov. gen.) Lawsoni,n. sp. (JPselapMdce); 4. Lissotes Helmsi,n. sp. 

 (Lucanidce)', 5. Chrosis violacea, n. sp., and 6. Protelater nigricans, 

 n. sp. (Elateridce) ; 7. ScapJiodius compactus, n. sp. (Chrysomelidce). 



Necropliilus, Zeatyrus, and Scaphodius have not before been 

 recorded from New Zealand; the occurrence of the first of these genera 

 there is very remarkable, as the species composing it have hitherto been 

 found only in the northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, 

 Siberia, North America). On carefully comparing the New Zealand 

 species with two of the Old World species, I have been unable to 

 detect any character of generic distinction, although the New Zealand 

 species is abundantly distinct in specific characters ; this induced me 

 to suppose that the New Zealand species might be one introduced 

 there by soine accidental means, but on further examination this has 

 appeared in the highest degree improbable. 



Mr. Helms's location on the West Coast of New Zealand, renders 

 his collections of much interest, nearly everything hitherto described 

 in the way of New Zealand beetles being from the countries to the 

 east of the New Zealand Alps. A considerable portion of Mr. Helms's 

 captures have been found to be new species and genera, and a paper 

 has already been published on them by Herr Reitter,"* of Vienna. 

 Mr. Helms is placed in a very interesting country, and one that, 

 judging from his discoveries, is favourable for beetles, and he seems 

 also to be a very skilful collector, not merely one who picks up such 

 things as insist on being caught by running about the roads or paths 

 where the collector may happen to be walking. Judging from Herr 

 Reitter's list, Mr. Helms's discoveries in Colydiidce and Pselaphidw are 

 especially numerous, and all beetle-collectors know these are just the 

 families whose successful collecting requires the most skill and per- 



" Beitr&ge zur Kafer-fauna von New Zealand. Verh. Nat. Ver. Briinn. XVIII. 



