612 COLEOPTERA. 



and hind angles of tliorax light castaneo-rufous, the palpi, tarsi, basal half 

 and eighth joint of antennae more or less testaceous, tibiae ])iceo-rufous. 



Head obtusely trigonal, with shallow distant punctures, interantennal 

 suture obsolete and seemingly incurved, that of the forehead straight 

 and distinct. Labrum large, transverse, emarginate in front. Eyes sub- 

 rotundate, large and prominent. Thorax about twice as broad as long, 

 <?venly curvedly narrowed towards the obtuse anterior angles so that its 

 apex is only about a third of the width of the base, which is subtruncate, 

 with rectangular angles ; disc almost smooth, being finely, distantly, and 

 indefinitely punctate. Scutellum indistinct and small. Elytra of the same 

 breadth as thorax at the base, 2| times its length, quite narrow at the 

 extremity, transversely crenate-strigose, with distinct sutural striae. 



Femora rather short ; tibiae straight, bispinose ; tarsi elongate and 

 slender. 



Antennae as long as head and thorax, their terminal half finely pubescent 

 and bearing slender outstanding setae ; basal five joints slender and elongate, 

 fifth only twice as long as broad ; sixth and seventh obconical, the latter 

 much the larger, eighth small, obviously narrower than contiguous ones, 

 ninth and tenth large, suboblong, the terminal longer, subconical. 



Underside finely pubescent, shining brown, terminal segments rufescent. 

 Mesosternal carina slender, prolonged to between the middle coxae. Meta- 

 sternum short. Abdomen composed of six subequal visible segments, sixth 

 narrower yet broadly triangular. 



Maxillary palpi moderately slender, basal articulation smallest, second 

 slightly stouter and longer than third, gradually thickened towards the 

 extremity, the terminal rather longer than its predecessor, as broad at its 

 base but tapering towards the apex. 



The only specimen extant, being a female, its generic location must be 

 left in doubt until the male can be obtained. The structure of the labrum 

 suggests relationship to Catopsomorphus and Agyrfes, both exotic and not 

 procurable for comparison here. At present it must be placed in my second 

 section of Mesocolon, consisting of Nos. 279, 280, 281, 282, 1703, 2489, 

 and 2756. 



$. Length, 3 mm. ; breadth, 1| mm. 



Glenhope, Nelson ; 1st August, 1915. One, from Mr. T. Hall. 



Group HlSTERIDAE. 



Epierus Erichson. Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 163. 

 4180. Epierus spinellus sp. nov. 



Nitid, glabrous, subobhmg-oval, moderately convex, finely but not 

 closely punctate ; black, legs and basal joint of antennae dark rufous ; 

 palpi, tarsi, and slender tibial spines fulv^^scent. 



Head small, forehead truncate in fiont and distinctly marked off from 

 the transverse and more coarsely sculptured labrum. Thorax about twice 

 as broad as long, its sides finely margined and gradually narrowed anteriorly, 

 apex widely emarginate so that its subacute angles appear promineni , the 

 base obliquely truncate towards its rectangular angles, its basal ])unctaticn 

 rather more distinct than that of the head. Scutellum invisible. Elytra 

 double the len«th of thorax, of the same width at the base, truncate behind ; 

 each elytron has six fine striae, none reach the extremity, the sutural is 

 straight, the others somewhat curved, the inner three are more or less 



