BUPRESTID GENrs ASTRAEUS. 91 



the suturai and lateral spines very short and obtuse; deeply striated, 

 the interstices almost equally elevated and rugosely striated in a 

 transverse direction; covered with a delicate silvery pile. Under- 

 neath closely punctate, more finely on the abdomen. 



Variability. The rows of strigilorm spots are sometimes 

 confluent, forming irregular stripes; in one specimen the yellow 

 markings even extend on the disc and along the sides of the 

 thorax (var. picticollis m.), and there are additional small spots 

 at the margins of the elytra and on the fourth abdominal segment. 



Number of specimens examined: nine, in coll. Oberthür and 

 van de Poll. 



5. Astraeus navarchis Thoms. 



Conognathus navarchis Thoms. , Rev. et Mag. Zool. , 1856 , 



p. 115, pi. VI, fig. 2. 

 Astraeus navarchis v. d. Poll, Not. from t/ie Leyd. Mus. , 



VIII (1886), p. 180. 



Latns, nitidissimus , purpureus; ehjtris ante medium f ascia flava 

 suturant attingente^ post medium fascia suticram hand attingente, 

 ornatis. Caput rugoso-punctatum , inter oculos leviter excavatum. 

 Prothorax Irevissimus, convexus, laterihus rotundatis^ apicetn versus 

 valde angustatis , angnlis posticis multo prominulis ; fortiter punc- 

 tatus, densius in laterihus., in medio linea glabra longitudinali. 

 Elytra sulcostata (costae basin versus indistinctae) , interstitiis basin 

 versus subconvexis, sparsim punctatis; apicibus valde divergent ibus, 

 spinis suUiraHhus later alihusque validis , acutis. Pars infera crebre 

 punctata., subtUius in abdomine; prosterno subconvexo. 



Long. 16 — 17 mm., lat. 6 — 7 mm. 



Habitat: Australia. 



Entirely of a bright metallic purple color, head and thorax 

 rather darker, purple-brown. Each elytron with a slightly curved 

 yellow band before the middle, touching the suture as well as 

 the outer margin below the shoulder, its concavity turned towards 

 the base, and an other somewhat angular band below the middle, 

 which touches the margin but does not reach the suture. 



