256 COI.KOPTEKA. 



marks rather darker but imt fuscous; the vestiture decumbent, fulvous, 

 moderately coarse and dense but leaving nude the sides of the thorax, 

 the humeral region, and a curved streak between the hind thighs with 

 a broad sutural prolongation behind it; the erect setae though nunieious 

 are slender but not very elongate. 



Head distantly punctate, the vertex plane. Thorax slightly broader 

 than long, Avidest and rounded near the niiddle, gradually narrowed 

 beliind, moderately closely and coarsely punctured. Elytra somewhat 

 brctadly oval, fully twice the length of the thorax, almost double its 

 width in the middle, but hai'dly at all broader than it is at the base; 

 they are irregularly and distantly punctate. 



Antennae finely pubescent and bearing also many longer hairs, and 

 reacliing backwards to beyond the hind thighs; theii- elongate .'5i'd joints 

 attain the slioulders, the 5th is just percejttiblv, if at all, longer than 

 the 4:th. 



Femora subclavate but slender at the base; intermediate tibiae 

 slightly thicker than the others, with elongate greyish setae near the 

 external emargi nation. 



Underside dark fuscous, with fine close sculptui-e, and greyish 

 pubescence; 5th ventral segment reddish, longer than the 4th, sub- 

 truncate at tlie apex. 



The species most nearly a])proachiiig tliis in bulk and facies are 

 S. signata, 2275, and iS'. lineata, .3000. Both, however, ai-e ai'med with 

 a denticle at eacli side of the thorax. In 2275 the tips of the antennal 

 joints are infuscate, there seems to be a slender line along the middle 

 of tlie thorax, the surface is rather flatter and less shining. In 3000 

 there is a distinct stria on the head. S. hifiila, 2582, though similarly 

 marked, is a much more robust insect. 



Leiigtli, 4i-5 mm. ; breadth, 2 mm. 



Pudding Hill and .McClennan's Bush, near Methven. Found amongst 

 leaves on the gi-ound during April and May, 1912, by Mr. T. Hall. 

 Ap]>arently rare. 



3663. Somatidia halli sp. nov. 



Elongate, convex, moderately nitid, without crests, tubercles, or 

 outstanding setae, variegate; tlioiax and elytra fuscous, the frontal 

 portion of the former much paler, the latter with an irregularly formed 

 testaceous fascia between the hind thiglis and mottled witli gieyish 

 pubescence behind; the vertical forehead, antennal tubercles, and basal 

 three joints of the antennae bright chestnut-red; femora infuscat«, their 

 slender basal portion much paler; tibiae and tarsi yellow, the former 

 with a blackish band above, and a small dark spot near the extremity; 

 joints 5-11 of the antennae pale-reddish or testaceous at the base, 

 fuscous beyond; the body unevenly clothed with very fine, depressed, 

 gieyish pulDcscence, but on the darkei- parts corresponding with the derm 

 in colour. 



Head distinctly but not closely ])unctate in front, the vertex flat and 

 dull black. Thorax convex, sliglitly longer than broad, widest and 

 rounded before tlie middle, gradually narrowed backwards; its puncta- 

 tion distinct, nowhere very close, somewhat irregular, but not leaving 

 definite smooth sjiots. Scutellum elongate-triangular, covered with 

 yellowish pubescence. Elytra elongate-oval, a fourtli wider in line with 

 the posterior femora than the bi'oadest part of tlie thorax, of the same 

 breadth as it is at tlie base, the liind slope not nt all abrupt and gradualh' 



