PYTHIDAE. 197 



and curved inwards near the middle, and a subapical spot of similar 

 colour; legs and antennae int'uscate red. 



Head moderately coarsely punctured, less so on the middle. Eyes 

 prominent. Thorax cordate, about as long as broad, coarsely and 

 irregularly punctate, with a smooth linear space along the middle, each 

 side with ."3 or more dentiform projections. Scutellum broad, generally 

 punctate. Elytra broader than thi)rax at the base, more than twice its 

 length, coarsely and subseriately punctured to beyond the hind thighs. 



Underside nitid, nigro-fuscous, the head and coxae rufescent. 

 Sternum moderately coarsely but not closely punctured, the abdomen 

 distantly and more finely and bearing some suberect, slender, yellowish 

 setae. 



Tliis should be placed between S. perpunctatus, 702, and S. ornatus, 

 2848, but differs from both by the presence of the lateral thoracic pro- 

 minences. It is darker than either of these. The pale marks on the 

 elytra, though similar in shape to those of 2818, are much less distinct, 

 whilst those of 702 are flavescent and occupy half of their surface. 



Length, 2 mm. ; breadth, quite ^ mm. 



Rose Hill, and McClennan's Bush, near Methven. Nearly a dozen 

 specimens found by Mr. T. Hall during February and March, 1912. 



Group Melandryidae. 



3578. Neorchesia terricola sp. nov. Neorchesia Broun, N.Z. Inst., Bul- 

 letin No. 1, Part 2, p. 114. 



Subopaque, fuscous; femora, tarsi, and basal joints of antennae 

 more or less fusco-testaceous ; densely covered with depressed, slender, 

 and elongate ashy pubescence ; body slightly convex, suboviform, very 

 elongate. 



Head finely, yet distinctly, and moderately closely punctured, rounded 

 and margined behind. Thorax about a third broader than long, 

 curvedly narrowed towards the front, which is obtusely rounded; base 

 slightly bisinuate, its angles subrectangular ; with transversely undu- 

 lating minute granular sculpture, between the middle and each side 

 there is a shallow basal fovea. Scutellum strongly transverse. Elytra 

 four times the length of the thorax, of the same width as it is at the 

 base, somewhat broader near the middle, gradually narrowed posteriorly, 

 with subacute, slightly divergent apices; sutxxral striae very narrow, 

 their sculpture finer than that of the thorax, less distinctly granular. 



Antennae densely pubescent, rather longer than the head and thorax, 

 implanted close to the front of the eyes; 3rd joint slightly longer than 

 either of the preceding two or following ones, joints 4-7 slightly 

 diminish, the 7th nevertheless is longer than broad, 8-10 subquadrate, 

 the terminal longer. 



Tibiae not asperate; the posterior shortest, subtriangular, hardly the 

 lengtli of the pectinate apical spurs; basal tarsal joint thicker and 

 rather longer than the following three united, with slender claws. 



Underside fuscous, closely and minutely sculptured, with yellowish 

 pubescence. Metasternum distinctly grooved along the middle. Pro- 

 sternal process broad in front and acuminate behind, almost touching 

 that of the mesosternum. 



Considerably smallei- than N. divergens, 3432, with manifestly 

 different thoracic sculpture. 



Length, 3^ mm.; breadth, 1^ mm. 



