1078 COLEOPTERA 



convex ; hind coxae wide apart, abdominal process flat, strongly 

 rounded in front. Abdomen elongate, all the segments well deve- 

 loped, the basal, at the sides, but little longer than the second. 

 Epipleiircc quite linear in line with second abdominal segment. 



The insect for which this genus is established looks as much like 

 an obscure Silpha as it does any of the Nitidnlida known to me. 



1920. P. obscura, n.s. Oviform, much narrow^ed posteriorly, 

 subopaque, fusco-piceous, legs and antennae obscure rufo-fuscous ; 

 sparsely clothed with slender, depressed, yellowish and ash-coloured 

 setae. 



Hecul flat between the antennae, the punctures there rather 

 larger and more distant thaii elsewhere. Antennce sparingly, the 

 club more densely, clothed with yellow^ pubescence. Thorax nearly 

 twice as broad as long, widest behind the middle, slightly narrowed 

 behind, with a sinuosity near the middle, and then obliquely nar- 

 rowed towards the front ; the surface finely and distantly punctvired, 

 almost smooth on the middle, but with rather coarse punctures near 

 the sides; it is uneven, being convex across the widest part, and 

 depressed towards the front and base, its sides can hardly be termed 

 explanate, being only flattened or feebly concave, with slightly-raised 

 margins, near each side at the base there is a large obvious depres- 

 sion. Scutelluvi nearly or quite smooth. Elytra convex, thrice the 

 length of the thorax, shoulders a little broader than its base ; the 

 sides nearly straight for about one-fourth of their length, then some- 

 what obtusely dilated, and afterwards gradually narrowed pos- 

 teriorly ; their punctuation closer on the base and sides than on the 

 middle. 



Underside nearly black, more finely and sparingly clothed than 

 above ; middle of prosternum quite opaque and subgranulate, the 

 flanks shining and very coarsely punctured or pitted ; abdomen finely 

 sculptured. 



Sometimes the sides of the thorax and the apex of the elytra are 

 rufescent, but the surface is generall}^ covered with sappy matter, 

 causing it to appear more opaque than it is in reality. 



Length, 2-^2f ; breadth, 1^ lines. 



Mount Cook. I am indebted to Mr. H. Suter for a good series 

 of this curious insect. 



Ips. 



1921. I. minimus, «-s. {Slmrp ; Trans. Boy. Dub. Soc, 1886, 

 p. 391.) Brunneo-castanens, nitidulus, supra subsenescens, elytris 

 fuscescentibus, basin versus externe vage testaceo-signatis, obso- 

 letissime striatis. 



Long., 3mm. 



Anten}tcB red, with large three-jointed club, which is dusky ; 

 Jtead very broad, narrowed and prolonged in front of the insertion of 

 the antennas, labrum connate with front, but the suture still per- 

 ceptible : thorax large, just as broad as the elytra, and closely applied 

 to them, rather strongly transverse, nearlv straight at the sides, 



