366 ('(.)!, KOl'I'KltA. 



o792. Mecodema indiscretum s|i. \\<>v. 



Oblong, slijfhtly nitiil. 



Hoad witliout frontal striae and intt'iocular rugae, the occiput finelv 

 Init not closely punctured. Thoiax with simple and rather narrow margins,, 

 smooth above. Klytra i-athcr bioadrr hehiiKl than in M. uffimiJH; not at all 

 distinct!}' ])unctate-stiiate. 



Distinguishable from M. latulvni. by its euiarginate base, narrow lateral 

 margins, and smooth disc of the thorax. The elytral sculpture is nearly 

 similar, being finely substriate-punctate near the suture, but the 6th striae 

 are deeper, broadei', and more distinctly and regularly punctate, and, before 

 the middle, are obviously and coarsely quadripunctate. The labi'um, 

 instead of being plane, has a broad, oblong, central groove. 



These are not sexual variations, as the types of M. latidum, M. affinum, 

 as well as this species are females. 



?. Length, 24 jnm. ; bieadth, 8 nun. 



Mount Eanislaw, north of Lake Wakatipu. A single specimen found 

 by Mr. T. Hall on the 6th February, 19U. 



3793. Mecodema trailli sp. nov. 



Elongate, only moderately convex, nitid ; black, antennae and legs 

 piceous. 



Head rather narrower than thoracic apex, with deep longitudinal 

 frontal sulci, those near the eyes also deep but irregular, and between these 

 latter there are some fine transversal ones ; it is closely and distinctly punc- 

 tured behind the eyes but smooth at its base. Thorax a fifth broader than 

 long, base and apex subtruncate, its sides slightly crenulate, moderately 

 rounded from the front to beyond the middle, more curvedly narrowed 

 behind, its base more contracted, wdth almost straight sides and obtusely 

 rectangular angles ; the surface with very fine striae across it, basal and 

 apical longitudinal striae quite obsolete ; there is a foveiform impressioii 

 near each anterior angle, mesial groove nearly entire, basal fossae deej) 

 and moderately elongate. Elytra elongate-oval, a good deal narrowed 

 posteriorly, nearly thrice as long as the thorax, and rather wider than it 

 is at the base ; their striae regular, almost equally finely punctured from 

 the suture to the sides, the 7th with 3 or 4 rathe !■ larger setigerous pimc- 

 tures, their sides nearly vertical, Avith shallow indefinite impressions ; in- 

 terstices nearly plane near the suture, moderately convex towards the sides, 

 the apical sculpture irregular. 



Legs, antennae, and palpi normal. The eyes, owing to a slight orbital 

 dilatation imdei-neath, appear less prominent than usual. 



Underside shining. Prosternum smooth on the middle, its flanks 

 moderately punctured, sides of mesosternum more closely, abdomen finely 

 and irregularly wrinkled, longitudinally at the sides, its last segment trans- 

 versely, its apex with 3 setigerous punctures near one side but only 2 at 

 the other. 



This bears more resemblance to the northern M. scitulum (2593), measur- 

 ing 29 mm. by 9 mm., than to any South Island species. The present species 

 is much more slender, its thorax is relatively broader, more contracted at the 

 base, and the lateral channels are no wider in front than behind the middle ; 

 the antennae and legs are a little stouter, and the sculpture of the under- 

 side differs consideialily. 



J. Length, 25 mm. ; breadth, 7^ nun. 



