382 COLEOPTERA. 



The greatly abbreviated elytra, without dorsal striae, the large 3rd 

 dorsal segment, and the more elongate, differently formed palpi will at 

 a glance, without reference to structural details, enable it to be separated 

 from Tyrogeius, its nearest New Zealand ally. 



3833. Phormiobius halli sp. nov. 



Nitid. dark fusco-rufous, antennae and legs rather paler, tarsi and palpi 

 fulvous ; thinly clothed witli slender, elongate, subdepressed, flavescent 

 pubescence ; the ])unctation very fine and indistinct. 



Head, eyes included, about as broad as the middle of the narrow thorax, 

 slightly curvedly narrowed and ciliate behind, frontal tubercles finely punc- 

 tate. Eyes situated behind the middle, rather low down, small and slightly 

 prominent. Thorax a little longer than broad, strongly lounded in the 

 middle, convex there, somewhat depressed at the base, vvliich has a distinct 

 median fovea and another at each side of it. Elytra depressed towards 

 the base, bi-impressed there, tlie sutiiraj striae distinct there Init obsolete 

 behind. 



i^e»(.-- Hind-body rather broader than that of the male; basal 3 ventral 

 segments transversely depressed and thickly fringed behind. 



Male. — Basal 2 ventral segments with fulvous cilia but not depressed 

 behind. Posterior trochanters on the inner side with a tliick spiniform 

 process directed backwards. 



Length, 2 mm. ; breadth, § mm. 



Belgrove, near Nelson. Mr. T. Hall secured a dozen specimens, but 

 only three males, amongst decaying flax-leaves, during October, 1914. 



Agatyrus gen. nov. 



Allied to Phoriiiiohiii.s, but exhibiting the following dis])arities : — 



Maxillary i)alpi thicker, their 2nd articulation with the basal half slendei' 

 and curved, the other considerably enlarged and .subsecuriform ; 3rd almost 

 as long, slender and stalk-like at the base, gradually dilated towards the 

 extremity ; 4th as long as its predecessor, stalk-like near the base, its 

 longer apical portion securiform and provided with a small apical ucicular 

 appendage. 



Basal joint of tarsi small but distinct, 2nd slightly and gradually 

 thickened, apparently grooved above and prolonged nearly half-way 

 underneath the 3rd, which is about as long, but its base is implanted on 

 top of and just about the middle of the 2nd ; the claws are of equal length, 

 though one is rather more slender than the other. In other allied genera 

 the 3rd tarsal joint is attached to the apex of the 2nd. and both are slender 

 and filiform. 



Elytra less abbreviated with well-marked dorsal and sutural striae. 

 First visible dorsal segment quite as long as any of the others. Ventral 

 segments 2-4, in the female, depressed and thickly ciliate behind, 5th short 

 and widely emarginate, 6th also short, obtusely angularly prominent at the 

 middle of the extremity. 



MaZe.— Metasternum with a transversely (juadrate lamina in the middle, 

 this is elevated in front and finely margined there and at the sides. 

 Anterior coxae distinctly, the posterior very ^\'idely separated. Tro- 

 chanters elongate, each of the hind pair with a cylindrical process directed 

 backwards. Basal ventral segment trun( ate between the widely distant 



