OF NEW ZEALAND. 989 



Steropus. 



1777. S. helmsi, i^-s- (Sharp; Ent. Mon. Mag., vol. xx., 

 p. 25.) Elongatus, niger, superne plus minusve metallico-tinctus ; 

 'prothorace elongato, posterius angustato, mox ante angulos 

 posteriores sinuato, his rectis, basi utrinque fovea magna, impunc- 

 tata, impressa ; elytris ad apicem acuminatis, lateribus curvatis 

 hand parallelis, profuude striatis, striis baud perspicue punctatis, 

 interstitiis absque punctis impressis, ad apicem leviter transversim 

 depressis itaque subundulatis apparent. 



Long., 18mm. ; lat., 6i-7mm. 



Var. femoribus rufis. 



This is, so I am informed by Mr. Helms, the only carabideous 

 insect of considerable size that is at all common near Greymouth ; 

 it is remarkable that it should not have been detected m other parts 

 of the Islands, especially as it belongs to a subgenus not knov^n 

 before to occur in New Zealand ; this subgenus (Steropus) is re- 

 corded by Chaudoir (Bull. Mosc, 1865, p. 97) as possessing several 

 species in Australia characterized by their elytra being acuminate at 

 the extremity, and possessing some large punctures on the third inter- 

 stice. Steropus helmsi agrees in the former of these respects with 

 the Australian Steropi, but has no punctures on the third interstice, 

 so that it should apparently form a separate section in Steropus. 

 From pJl the other New Zealand Pterostichi of large or moderate 

 size known to me S. helmsi is readily distinguished by its more 

 slender form and the more prolonged apical portion of the elytra. 

 The undulated appearance on the posterior part of the wing-cases is 

 somewhat variable, and the metallic tinting of the upper surface is 

 very variable, and occasionally very slight. 



Zeopoecilus. 



Nov. gen. 



(Sharp ; Trans. Roy. Dub. Sac, Nov., 1886, p. 365.) 



Prosternum without setge at tip. Basal joint of antennas im- 

 pressed and subcarinate. 



1778. Z. calcaratus, "-s. (Sharp; Trans. Roy. Diib. Soc, Nov., 

 1886, p. 366.) Niger, supra fusco-teneus, protJioracc cupreo-aurato, 

 antennis pedibusque piceis ; elytris profunde striatis, striis subtiliter 

 punctatis. 



Long., 20-22mm. 



Mas, elytris nitideis, interstitiis convexis ; tibiis posterioribus 

 apice intus calcare acuminato-hamato armatis. 



Fem., elytris opacis, interstitiis baud convexis. 



Antenna with a depression on the upper face of the basal joint. 

 Thorax strongly transverse, with much-rounded sides ; these sinuate 

 behind, so as to give rise to a well-marked basal constriction ; hind 

 angles rectangular ; surface coppery, more golden about the fovese ; 

 these broad, quite impunctate, not touching the lateral margin. 

 Elytra with rounded sides, strong humeral denticulation, and very 



