LATHHIDIDAi;. 181 



Grouj) fjATHHIDIDAK. 



3550. Lathridius rufifrons sp. nov. Lathridius Herbst, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., 



p. 232. 



Subovate, moderately elong^ate, only slightly convex, glabrous, nitid; 

 head and thorax dark rufous; elytra, legs, and antennae moje or less 

 pale chestnut-red. 



Head nearly as broad as the thorax, with a wuU-niarked groove along 

 the middle, moderately coarsely, (dosely, and rugosely punctured and 

 rather' dull. Eyes large and prominent. Thorax subquadrate, of about 

 equal length and breadth, slightly wider in front than elsewhere, lateral 

 margins a little explanate, indistinctly serrate, and feebly sinuate near 

 the middle, posterior angles rectangular, the anterior obtusely rounded; 

 the surface coarsely, closely, and somewhat rugosely punctate, with a 

 broad groove, wliicli is expanded behind, along the middle, the ti'ansverse 

 impression near the base becomes foveiform at each side, before the 

 middle but near each side there is a small rounded fovea, its base is 

 t)-uncate. Scutellum broad, small, concave in the middle. Elytra ob- 

 ovate, with distinct rims, arcuate-ernarginate at the base, of the same 

 width as the thorax there, fully thrice its length, widest before the 

 middle, and a good deal iiariowed posteriorly; they are slightly de- 

 pi-essed behind the base, and very distinctly and regularly punctate- 

 striate throughout. 



Antennae nearly as long as the head and thorax, their basal joint 

 nearly thrice the thickness of the oviform 2nd, .3rd evidently shorter 

 than -ith, which as well as joints ~)-l are slondei- and elongate, Sth 

 slightly shorter and broader; club broad, its intermediate joint strongly 

 transverse and broader than the basal, the terminal nearly twice as long. 



At once recognizable from other species by its unusual coloration, 

 obovate elytra, thoracic sculptu)-e, and rather broad anteiinal club. 



Lengtli. H mm. ; breadth, § mm. 



Broken River, Canterbury. One from Mr. J. H. Lewis. 



3551. Lathridius dualis sp nov. 



Elongate, subdepressed, shining, nude, variegate; head and thorax 

 more or less fusco-rufous ; elytra jiale brown or fusco-testaceous, with a 

 lai'ge, dai'k fuscous, depiessed spot cm each between the base and the 

 middle, another of iiregular sliape across the top of the posterior de- 

 clivity, and a third at the side liehind the shoulder; legs and antennae 

 obscurely fulvescent. 



Head rather coarsely punctate and I'ugose, with a distinct groove 

 along the middle. Eyes moderate, prominent. Thorax a third longer 

 than bi-oad, deeply constricted near the base, which is paler and nearly 

 smooth ; along the middle of the coarsely punctate, rugose frontal por- 

 tion there is a broad impression with slightly raised borders, the lateral 

 margins are somewhat flattened. Scutellum transverse. Elytra obviously 

 broader than the thorax at the base, more than double its length, rather 

 broader near the hind thighs than at the base, distinctly and closely 

 punctate-striate. with smooth, slightly raised interstices, near each side 

 there is a depression in line with the hind thigh. 



Antennae shorter than the head and thorax, basal jninf twice as thick 

 as the next, joints -3-8 distinctly longer than brt^ad, the terminal longer 

 than the 9th and 10th. ' 



