176 ASTRAEUS ABERRANS. 



1. Astraeus aberrans , v. d. Poll. 



Supra subnitidus, niger , purpureo-internitens , fronte et 

 lateribus prothoracis cuprescentibus , eiytris plurimis maculis 

 Jlavis strigiformibus ornatis ; subtus obscure aeneus , nitidus , 

 segmento primo et secundo abdominis ad latera macula flava 

 notato. Omnino pubescentia grisea induta , in eiytris obsoletis- 

 sime. Caput fortiter ruguloso-punctatum , in medio linea 

 glabra longitudinali. Prothorax convexus ., lateribus apicem 

 versus subangustatis , fortiter punctatus , ad latera rugosus. 

 Elytra ad basin thorace nonnihil angustiora , apicibus fere 

 haud divergentibus , spinis suturalibus et marginalibus parvis , 

 obtusis ; profunde striata , interstitiis aequaliter elevatis , for- 

 titer densissimeque transversaliter ruguloso-striatis. Pars in- 

 fera crebre punctata, in abdomine subtilius. — Long. 14 

 mm., lat. 6 mm. 



Habitat Australia occ. — In mus. nostro. 



Uppersurface black with a purplish tinge, the forehead 

 and the sides of the thorax coppery, slightly shining; the 

 elytra ornated with numerous strigiform yellow spots , viz. : 

 a row of three spots close to the suture, reaching beyond 

 the middle, an other row of four spots along the middle, 

 overreaching the foregoing, one spot at the base between 

 these rows and two spots above at the outer margin. These 

 spots are not quite symmetrical on both the elytra and we 

 may suppose a great variability. Underside and legs dark 

 bronzy, shining, the first and second abdominal segment 

 with a small round yellow spot at each side. The head, 

 thorax and undersurface rather closely , the elytra extremely 

 finely clothed with a silvery pubescence. 



Head strongly rugosely punctured , with a longitudinal 

 glabrous line in the middle. 



Prothorax convex, deeply punctured in the middle, the 

 sides strongly rugose ; the front margin somewhat produced 

 in the center, the sides slightly narrowed towards the top. 



Elytra somewhat narrower at the base than the thorax, 

 broadest behind the middle, emarginated below the shoul- 



Notes from the Leyden Aluseum, Vol. "VIII. 



