Australian and Tasmanian Cryptocephalides. 433 



LOXOPLEURUS MIXTUS, n. sp. 

 (Plate XXIV, fig. 90.) 



^ . Black with a coppery gloss ; prothorax and mi;zzle red, tibiae 

 and parts of the basal joints of antennae obscure red. 



Head densely coarsely and regularly punctate. Antennoo slightly 

 shorter than the body, second joint half the length of third, third 

 slightly shorter than fifth. Prothorax more than twice as wide as 

 long ; with rather large but somewhat irregularly distributed punc- 

 tures ; oblique impressions feeble ; margins narrow. Scntellum 

 triangular, base feebly notched. Elytra oblong, subhumeral lobes 

 very small, densely but not coarsely punctate, punctures posteriorly 

 becoming smaller and seriate in arrangement, abov\t the middle 

 subgeminate. Apex oi prosternum obtusely produced. 



Length 3 (vix) mm. 



$ . Differs in being entirely pallid except at the junction of pro- 

 thorax, elytra and scutellum, and for a dark greenish stain about the 

 scutellum. It is much larger, antennae thinner and shorter and the 

 elytral punctures sparser and smaller. Abdomen with the fourth 

 segment narrow across middle ; fovea large and comparatively 

 shallow. 



Length 85-4 mm. 



Rab. W. Australia : King George's Sound (types in 

 Macleay Museum), Karridale, Vasse.Swan River, Geraldton 

 {A. M.Lea). 



The two specimens described were mated as male and 

 female by Mr. Masters, and were probably taken m cop. by 

 him. The female has the abdomen no paler than the 

 metasternum, but this may be due to its age, as in six speci- 

 mens taken recently it is flavous. Two specimens before 

 me have the middle of the sterna black, in one of these the 

 scutellum is entirely black, in tlie other the base of the head 

 is black with a greenish gloss; in another specimen the 

 middle of the pro- and mesosternum are black, whilst the 

 dark space about the scutellum is triangular and produced 

 almost to the middle. The apical half of the antennae in 

 the female is usually dark. I have seen but one other male, 

 and which agrees closely with the type. 



In appearance the male (except that it is smaller and 

 has shorter antennae) re.sembles the male of castor, n. sp., 

 polhix, n. sp., and to a less extent of Lox. piceitarsis, Chp. 

 The female much resembles the following species and the 

 female of Id. suhbrunnea, Saund., and Or. serenus, n. sp. 



