686 COLEOPTERA. 



Head with numerous somewhat flattened granules. Labrum large, 

 almost smooth. Eyes convex, subtransverse. Thorax about twice as 

 l)road as long, its sides entire, flattened, gradually curvedly narrowed 

 towards the subacute prominent front angles, the base widely bisinuate, 

 with subrectangular angles ; it is nearly smooth and indistinctly grooved 

 along the middle, but the sides are closely granulate, the front less dis- 

 tinctly so, the transverse basal impression is generally sex-punctate. 

 Scuteilum minute. Elytra about double the length of thorax, only slightly 

 broader than it is at the base, with rectangular, somewhat flattened, nearly 

 smooth shoulders ; there are eight series of rather coarse punctures on each 

 elytron, the sutural a little finer. 



Underside sparingly clothed with dej^ressed slender fulvescent setae, 

 the femora more thickly, abdomen nearly nude. Prosternum distinctly 

 and rather closely granulate, its process broad, plane, and prolonged slightly 

 behind the coxae, it is almost a fourth of the whole width ; mesosternal 

 lamina about equally broad ; basal ventral segment very broadly rounded 

 between the coxae. 



The species in their natural condition are encrusted with sappy matter, 

 fibres, and dirt, which must be removed before their true sculpture can be 

 seen. 



Length, 5-6 mm. ; breadth, 3-3| mm. 



Tairua, Hunua Range, Waitakere, and Pakarau, all localities in the 

 Auckland Province. 



N.B. — Sharp's S. optatus (359) is described as having long erect setae 

 on the tibiae, whereas in S. solidus they are depressed and inconspicuous. 

 In his *S'. hijstrix (361) the elytral punctures are much coarser than those of 

 359, but in my denuded specimen of 361 I find these punctures are not as 

 coarse as those of S. solidus. S. politus (360) is distinguishable by its light 

 chestnut hue and fuscous alternate interstices of the elytra. S. oblongus (353) 

 has the prosternum covered with coarse flattened granules and its process 

 depressed along the middle ; the abdomen is finely sculptured and bears 

 numerous depressed greyish hairs. 



Recyntus Broun. Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 764. 



4284. Recyntus reitteri Sharp. Trans. Ent. Soc, London, 1882, p. 80. 



Subquadratus, crassus, elytris elevatis, fusco-niger, superne in elytris 

 tubercuUs maximis et inaequahter fulvo-tomentosus, setulisque erectis 

 adspersus, antennis pedibusque riifis. 



Length, 4 mm. ; breadth, 2| mm. 



Antennae rather stout, quite red ; club strongly triarticulate. Thorax 

 very uneven, sinuate on each side in front, so that the middle much covers 

 the head, narrowed in front, the surface much hispid, especially at the sides, 

 the side behind the middle divided by a deep transverse fissure ; the part 

 in front of this fissure is produced backwards, so as nearly or quite to touch 

 the portion behind the fissure, and so as to leave internal to this ])oint of 

 contact a window or opening through the surface of the thorax, which, 

 however, is frequently concealed by being filled up with an exudation, or 

 with the vegetable substance amongst which the insect lives ; in front 

 of the hind angle the thorax is much narrowed, and the hind angle projects 

 backwards as a large triangle. Elytra with very large and greatly 

 elevated tubercles, which bear a coarse tomentum ; between the tubercles 

 are numerous, rather indefinite but large, punctures or pits, and the 



