86 COI-EOI'TEUA. 



.■?()70. Asilis parallelus sp. n(»\-. 



] h'pivssed. cloii^iatc, suh|)ariill<'l, covcicd with slomlt-r dci iinilu'iii cinereous 

 |)iihesceiuo ; nitid, int<'iis('lv lilack. Ic^s and aiitcmiaf (i|)a<|Uc and fuscous, 

 mandibles testa* oous. 



Iltoii Its broad iis front of tliorax, almost quite smooth; Thorax trans- 

 verse, lrun<ate in front ; l)aHe ohli(|U(' towards each side, so tliat the middle 

 .seems rounded ; its sides straight, or nearly so. with expanded margins 

 which are thi( kent>d and reflexed in fnuit oidv : ])o.stcrior angles formed 

 by tlie basal margin, there l;eing a slight indentation between tiiem and 

 the sides ; disc almost smooth, with an imjtression in front of the scutellum 

 and a large one near each hind angle. Ehjirn of the sam<' width as thorax, 

 the apex broadly rounded, sutural region depressed ; their punctation 

 shallow, producing a slightly rugose appearance, but \\'ithout any perceptible 

 granulation, the apical and humeral areas more finely sculptured. 



Antcrmac densely pubescent, robust, extending backwards beyond the 

 middle of the elytra ; 2nd and 3rd joints about ecjual ; 4-10 straight 

 inwardly, slightly curved outwardly. 



A. IrniiiciihiK (594) has finer elytral sculjiturc. its head is narrower, 

 the thorax is broader lieliind than in front, and the antennae are more 

 slender. In 119(), A. iriiirentris, and A. apicnlis, tlie head is dull with dense 

 sculpture; the thorax and antennae also are different. 



Lengtli. 1 J lines ; breadth, J line. 



Waimarino. Elevation, 2,7(J() ft. Five were secured. 1 might have 

 taken many, but they are pugnacious little wretches, witli a predilection 

 for maiming better insects than themselves when in a collecting-tube. 



Group Mklykiuae. 



3080. Dasytes veronicae sj). iiov. Gen., Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 328. 



' Slender, elongate ; covered, the elytra especially, with slender decum- 

 bent cinereous hairs ; the body blue, legs and antennae fusco-piceous, 

 bftsal 2 joints of these latter and the claws rufescent. 



Head nearly smooth between the eyes, elsewhere densely and minutely 

 sculptured and with some fine distant punctures, the frontal impressions 

 sometimes obsolete. Thorax quite as long as it is broad, its sides slightly 

 obtusely medially dilated ; the surface a little uneven, transversely im- 

 pressed at the base, sometimes with a median impression there and a shallow 

 one near each hind angle : with distinct but moderately fine and not close 

 punctures. Sruttlluni broad, not smooth. Eh/tra elongate, subparallel, 

 wider than thorax, apices individually rounded : they are moderately iinely 

 and closely punctured and slightly transversely rugose. Tarf:i longer than 

 the tibiae, their basal joint but little longer than the terminal one. Claws 

 slender, without memliranous appendages. Antennae pubescent, reaching 

 backwards beyond the base of the thorax. 



Var. — Shoulders slightly elevated. 



We have some similar species. D. eunslrictus has well-marked frontal 

 impressions, and its thorax is much contracted anteriorly. In I), eheese- 

 maui the impressions near the hind angles of the thorax are distinct, and 

 it is much narrowed in front and rounded behind, whilst the Gth ventral 

 segment has oidy a small basal fov«'a. 1). Uttoralis is a larger and more 

 glossy insect, with a longer thorax. D. nitjripes is quite brassy or aeneous. 



Underside bluish, finely sculptured and pubescent ; Gth ventral segment 

 deeply concave medially behind, the borders of the cavity thickly pubes- 

 cent 



