474 COI.EOPTERA 



838. S. pGCtoraliS, n.s. Body brilliant black, elytra somewhat 

 bronzed, antenn?e and legs piceous. The dub of the antennae has a 

 rather small basal joint, the apical being as large as the other two con- 

 jointly. Rostrum finely punctured ; head with a few punctures near the 

 eyes, which are rather more prominent than in S. penicillatus, and more 

 coarsely facetted. Thorax conical, punctulate. The form and sculpture 

 of the elytra are similar to those of 6". penicillatus except the shoulders, 

 which are more produced than in that species. The fore-femur is sub- 

 dentate, the others strongly toothed, the posterior most so. The 

 sternum bears on each side a conspicuous patch of bright fulvous pubes- 

 cence, the under-side is punctulate. 



The species, though greatly resembling ^. penicillatus, may be at 

 once distinguished from it by the pectoral pubescence. 



Length, 3 lines. 



I obtained two specimens at Whangarei Heads. 



Nyxetes. 



Pascoe. 



Antenme as long as head and thorax, inserted near the middle of 

 rostrum ; scape slender, incrassated apically, and reaching to behind the 

 eye ; funiculus six-jointed, basal joint largest, elongate-obconical ; 

 second longer than third, slender at the base, dilated towards its apex ; 

 third longer than those which follow, sub-cylindrical, rather stouter than 

 second ; fourth small, moniliform ; fifth and sixth, each a little broader 

 than the immediately preceding joints ; club large, oviform. Rostrum 

 moderately stout, cylindrical ; sc7vbes oblique, directed backwards below 

 the rostrum. Head thicker than beak, elongate ; eyes situated on the 

 sides in front, ovate, large, not prominent, finely facetted. Thorax elon- 

 gate-conical, convex. Scutelluni oblong. Elytra sub-ovate, very convex, 

 tubercular, widest behind, sides compressed, base bisinuated. Legs 

 elongate; two front pairs oi femora moderately inflated, curvedly excised 

 near the extremity, the posterior with a large, laterally-compressed tooth 

 below; the two anterior pairs of tibicc nearly straight, hind pair arcuated, 

 all unarmed and somewhat cavernose at the apex ; tarsi with the basal 

 joint as long as the following two conjointly, second triangular, third 

 bi-lobed, apical elongate, claws toothed. First abdominal segment 

 largest, next two small. 



This genus is instituted for the reception of the Curculio bidens of 

 Fabricius, which White erroneously referred to Scolopterus. Mr. Pascoe, 

 in a list of the genera of Curculionidcz which he kindly sent me, 

 included Nyxetes, but he has not, I believe, published its diagnosis ; I 

 do so now, adopting his name, though I had intended to apply a 

 different one. 



839. N. bidens, Fabr.; Syst. Ent., 136, 51. ^^^ bright black, 

 femora red, tibiae, tarsi, and antennae fuscous. Rostnan punctate, with 

 an almost smooth dorsal line. Head with an elongate depression 

 between the eyes, most closely punctured on the sides and behind. 



