432 Mr. A. M. Lea's Notes on 



feeble traces of a linear arrangement posteriorly. Under-surface 

 densely punctate. Apex of prosternum sub triangular. Inter- 

 mediate segments of abdomen strongly incurved to and narrow 

 across middle. 



Length 2J-2^ mm. 



Hah. N. S. Wales: Kiama (Macleay Museum), Sydney, 

 Forest Reefs (A. M. Lea). 



In one specimen the prothorax has only the extreme 

 sides dull red, in others the red occupies a much greater 

 space, and it usually covers a fairly large space at the 

 posterior angles. Sometimes more, at others less than half 

 of the tibiae are infuscate, in some specimens these are 

 entirely pallid, occasionally the femora are stained with 

 piceous. 



Appears to be close to Lax. gihhus, Chp., but that species 

 was described from a female, and the only females I have 

 seen (see below) are much larger (T have seen no male even 

 as small as 2 mm.) and the colour is usually very different. 

 The colours of the legs, however, and especially of the 

 femora, are liable to variation in both sexes. I certainly 

 think this species is not gihhus, although, had the specimen 

 described by Chapuis been a male, I should have had little 

 doubt in so considering it. Loa:. oUusus, Chp., which is 

 allied to this species, has the prothorax entirely dark in the 

 male. 



Although there are numerous males of this species before 

 me I am by no means certain that I know the female ; I 

 have, however, numerous females (also from Forest Reefs 

 and Sydney) which I have always considered as belonging 

 to the species. They differ in being larger (3-3| mm.) 

 and somewhat stouter, the prothorax of a rather dingy red 

 (the apex usually clouded with black, but in some speci- 

 mens the black considerably extended over the disc, and in 

 one leaving only a rather narrow margin on each side red — 

 much as in the males); the elytra are uniformly dark 

 metallic green (except that, in one specimen only, the base 

 has a purplish gloss) ; the antennae are considerably shorter 

 than the body, the third and fourth abdominal segments 

 are very narrow across the middle and the fovea is fairly 

 large. 



These females are close to Lox.piceitarsis, Chp., but have 

 coarser punctures, lower part of head always black and body 

 decidedly shorter, apex of tibiae as well as tarsi dark, and 

 prothorax often partly dark, etc. 



