976 COLEOPTERA 



apical portion ; tlie female is rather larger and broader than the 

 male, and has, at the extremity of the suture, a deep, remarkably 

 definite, narrow, common excision. The interruption near the base 

 of the pallid lateral margin is constant.] 



Mecodema. 



1758. M. ducale, '^-s- (Sharp ; Trans. Boy. Dub. Soc, Nov., 

 1886.) Major, elongatum nigrum, baud nitidum ; prothorace basi 

 fortiter coarctato, lateribus crenatis, dorso, praesertim versus latera, 

 transversim strigoso ; elytris interne laevigatis, externe rugulose 

 foveolatis. 



Long., 30mm. 



Length of thorax rather more than three-fourths of the greatest 

 width, the sides strongly rounded, abruptly contracted behind, the 

 hind angles rectangular, the lateral margin much interrupted, so as 

 to be conspicuously crenate ; along the middle is a very definite 

 longitudinal channel, and the surface has distinct, rather distant 

 transverse wrinkles, which are only very slightly impressed or 

 obsolete over a great part of the surface, being a little more distinct 

 near the sides and the median channel ; touching the lateral margin 

 at its point of constriction there is a small deep fovea not extending 

 to the base, the hind margin distinctly emarginate in the middle ; 

 elytra elongate, near the sides with deep, coarse, regular fovese, but 

 more than half the surface is smooth. 



This is probably the most remarkable carabideous insect yet dis- 

 covered in New Zealand, and will be readily distinguished by the 

 peculiar sculpture of the wing-cases. 



A single female was sent by Helms ; it was captured at Ahaura, 

 near Greymouth, in 1884. 



1759. M. rugiceps, i^-s- (Sharp ; Trans. Roy. Dublin Soc, 

 Nov., 1886.) Parum latum, nigrum, capite thoraceque profunda 

 rugosis, hoc lateribus crenatis, elytris ubique subaequalitervariolosis. 



Long., 21mm. 



Head with very prominent eyes, which are placed rather nearer to 

 the thoracic margin than they are in M. sculpturatum, the surface 

 bearing deep, coarse rugae, which are distant on the disc, denser on 

 the vertex, where also they are chiefly transverse in their direction, 

 and appear to a certain extent to consist of large punctures. Thorax 

 rather flat, the length nearly seven-eighths of the greatest width, the 

 sides rounded, much constricted behind, the hind angles rectangular, 

 the base truncate, the lateral margin numerously interrupted, with 

 about eight intramarginal tactile setae on each side, the surface 

 evenly covered with deep, quite uninterrupted transverse lines, and 

 bearing a longitudinal channel which does not quite attain the front 

 or the hind margin ; close to both these margins there are short 

 longitudinal plicae ; there is a small impression at the point of con- 

 striction on each side, not attaining the base. Elytra regularly 

 covei'ed with impressions placed in series, deep at the sides, more 



