99 



apical half with much smaller punctures. Antenna? inserted nearer 

 base than apex of rostrum; first joint of funicle stout, about as long 

 as second and third combined. Prothorax about once and one half 

 as wide as long, base distinctly wider than apex, and both truncate, 

 sides rather strongly rounded ; with dense clearly defined punctures 

 of moderate size. Elytra considerably wider than prothorax, almost 

 parallel sided to beyond the middle; with regular rows of punctures 

 in feeble stria;; interstices each with a row of feelde punctures. 

 Length (excluding rostrum) 2-3 1/2 mill. 



Hab. : Tasmania (Belgian Museum), Mount Wellington (including 

 summit) and Franktord (A. M. Lea). 



Readily distinguished from all previously described species by 

 the black prothorax. The male is nearly always smaller and darker 

 than the female, with shorter rostrum, eyes closer together, 

 punctures larger and generally the prothorax with a feeble im- 

 punctate line, that is usually ultogether absent from the female. 



The colour is very variable, the commonest form of all however, 

 has the body entirely black (except that sometimes the elytra are 

 diluted with red towards the apex), with the tibiae, knees, scape and 

 basal joint of funicle reddish, and the tarsi somewhat darker. The 

 rostrum may be entirely black, or partly or entirely diluted with 

 red. The tarsi are sometimes no darker than the tibiae; these are 

 sometimes black in the middle. Occasionally most(in some specimens 

 all) of the joints of the funicle are pale. On an occasional specimen 

 the elytra are entirely pale, and they are frequently (especially in 

 the females) diluted with red about the apex. The whitish set® are 

 generally conspicuous on the side pieces of the sterna, and they are 

 occasionally fairly dense at the sides of the head and prothorax, and 

 base of prothorax and elytra. The punctures on the elytral strise 

 near the base are about as large as those on the prothorax, but they 

 become much smaller posteriorly. 



628. ERISTUS BLACKBURNI n. sp. 



Reddish castaneous; parts of antennae and sometimes of under 

 surface and of rostrum, black. Rather sparsely clothed with fine 

 whitish setse. 



Head with moderately dense punctures. Rostrum flat, slightly 

 curved ; basal half with coarse punctures, apical half with fine ones. 

 Antennae inserted nearer base than apex of rostrum ; first joint of 

 funicle moderately stout, as long as second and third combined. 

 Prothorax about once and one third as wide as long, base very 

 feebly bisinuate and distinctly wider than apex, sides moderately 



