PSELAPHIXI. 381 



Male. — Metasternuin convex in front, distinctly and broadly grooved 

 along the middle. Basal ventral segment covered with greyish sponge-like 

 vestiture, 2nd large, indistinctly impressed, with a small tubercle on the 

 middle of its apex. 



A trifle smaller than P. urquharti and easily distinguishable from it, and 

 its allies, by the manifestly different metasternum and 2nd ventral seg- 

 ment. The head is shorter, the eyes rather more prominent and situated 

 near the middle, and the thorax and elytra are also a little shorter. 



Length, 1|- mm. ; breadth, quite ^ mm. 



Kouteburn and Hollyford, north of Lake Wakatipu. Eight examples 

 taken on the 16th and 19th February, 1914, at elevations of 1,000 ft. and 

 3,500 ft., from decaving vegetable matter, by Mr. T. Hall. 



Group Tyrini. 

 Phormiobius gen. no v. 



Body slightly convex, narrowed anteriorly. Head subovate, not broad, 

 quite the length of thorax, somewhat prolonged in front of the antennae, 

 vertex convex. Antennal tubercles stout and elongate, almost horizontal, 

 separated by a distinct groove which does not extend as far as the front 

 of the eyes. Thorax small, oval, a good deal narrowed towards the base 

 and apex, the former trifoveate. Elytra subtriangular, short, their length 

 only half of the breadth, considerably narrowed towards the base, which is 

 no wider than that of the thorax. Hind-body suboviform, large, about 

 half of the whole length ; 1st visible segment narrower and shorter than 

 the next, 3rd largest, these broadly marginate ; 4:th and 5th deflexed, 

 the latter small and curvilinearly triangular, the former nearly as long as 

 the 3rd. 



Legs elongate and slender, unarmed, hind tibiae slightly flexuous. Tarsi 

 narrow, basal joint minute, 3rd rather longer than the elongate 2nd ; claws 

 unequal, the 2nd short, very slender and indistinct. 



Antennae stout, as long as head and thorax ; basal 2 joints oblong, 

 the 2nd rather shorter and narrower, joints 3-8 small and subquadrate, 

 9th quadrate, not as broad as the transverse 10th, the terminal largest, 

 subovate. 



Maxillary palpi nearly the length of the head ; basal articulation minute, 

 2nd elongate, slender, slightly curved, clavate at the extremity ; 3rd shorter, 

 more gradually incrassate ; terminal elongate, as long as 2nd, elongate- 

 oval, a little more arched at one side than the other. 



Female with 6 ventral segments, the basal short and acutely produced 

 between the coxae, 2nd and 3rd each distinctly shorter than 4th, which is 

 the largest, 5th not longer than 2nd, 6th short and broad. 



iV/afe.^Second ventral segment shorter than 3rd, both depressed along 

 the middle, each side of the depressions gradually elevated backwards and 

 almost tuberculate at the extremity; 4th shorter than 2nd in the middle, 

 semicircularly omarginate ; 5th moderately medially depressed, deeply 

 emargiuatc in the middle, sliglitly longer than 4th there ; 6th small and 

 subrotundate. bounded behind by the terminal dorsal segment. Pro- 

 sternum incurved, \nth prominent, shghtly separated coxae. Metasternum 

 ver}- short. Trochanters distinct. 

 1 4*— Bull. No. 1. 



