462 COLEOPTERA. 



Group Chrysomelidae. 



3955. AUocharis praestans sp. nov. Allocharis Sliaip, Man. N.Z. Coleupt., 



p. 1306. 



Convex, oblong-oval, glabi'ous, shining ; aeneo-piceous, sides of elytra 

 rufescent. the base slightly so ; antennae and legs castaneo-rufous, femora 

 and base of tibiae more infuscate. 



Head immersed up to the transverse, coai'sely facetted eyes ; it is finely 

 and irregularly punctate, with a curved longitudinal stria near each 

 antenna. Thoi'ax not twice as broad as long, its apex widely yet slightly 

 eniarginate ; base feebly curved near the scutellum, with subrectangular 

 angles ; sides finely margined. n(^arly straight, only feebly sinuate near the 

 middle, curvedly narrowed in front ; basal and apical margins very fine, 

 the latter obsolete in the middle ; its surface irregularly and moderately 

 finely but not closely punctured. Scutellum smooth, curvilinearly tri- 

 angular. Elytra slightly wider than thorax at the base, nearly thrice its 

 length, curvedly narrowed behind, with somewhat singly rounded apices ; 

 each with a short .scutellar and 9 series of distinct but not coarse punctures, 

 some of these are disorganized, none quite reach the extremity, the 5th is 

 substriate or foveiform at the base ; interstices minutely and remotely 

 punctured. 



Legs stout, tibiae gradually incrassate towards the extremity. Antennae 

 nearly glabrous as far as the 6tli joint, which is only very slightly smaller 

 than contiguous ones. 



Underside castaneous, nitid, with some minute slender setae. Proster- 

 num flat along the middle, finely rugose behind the coxae, medially 

 emarginate at the base. Metasternum strongly rounded between the 

 coxae, medially imj^ressed behind. Abdomen finely and distantly punctate, 

 terminal segment more closely and pubescent at the extremity. 



In A. marginata (2294) the serial punctures apparently are finer, the 

 sides of the thorax are paler than the disc, which is shining brassy, instead of 

 being almost black as in this species. The thorax of A. morosa (2295) has 

 distinctly coarser and closer sculpture, some of the punctures are coarser 

 than the elytral ones, and its apex is more incurved. 



Length, 5-52 mm. > breadth, 2|— 3 mm. 



Moa Basin. Three specimens found by Mr. T. Hall on the 20th October, 

 1913. Var., Mistake Basin (one) : Sides of elytra fusco-testaceous, as are 

 the tibiae below the middle, the rest of the legs being fuscous. 



3956. Allocharis subsulcata sp. nov. 



Oblong-oval, convex, only moderately nitid ; nigro-piceous, legs and 

 sides of elytra, the base slightly, castaneo-rufous, antennae rather paler. 



Head nearly as wide as the thoracic apex, very finely and irregularly 

 punctate. Thorax a third broader than long, its sides almost quite straight, 

 gradually and slightly narrowed anteriorly, the base a little oblique towards 

 the subrectangular angles ; it is irregularly and finely punctured. Scutellum 

 smooth, subcordate. Elytra slightly broader than thorax at the base, 

 twice its length ; their serial punctures distinct and forming more or less 

 obvious but not quite regular striae ; interstices more distinctly yet minutely 

 punctured near the extremity than elsewhere. 



Antennae stout, 6th joint not perce})tibly smaller than 5th. 



Under.side piceous, sparingly and finely pubescent and ])unctate, femora 

 inclusive. Prosternum sliuhtlv convex along the middle, truncate })ehind. 



