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III. Revision of the Australian and Tasmanian Malaco- 

 dermidae. By Arthur M, Lea, F.E.S., Government 

 Entomologist, Tasmania. 



[Read October 7th, 1908.] 



Plates 1 1— VI. 



The Australian and Tasmanian Malacodcrmidae have 

 been comparatively neglected ; in Masters' Catalogue only 

 114 species* were recorded ; since the Catalogue 147t 

 have been recorded as new, 3 were overlooked, and I am 

 now able to add 137 more. Excluding known synonyms 

 and varieties the total now recorded is 363 species. 



The reasons for the neglect are not far to seek ; the 

 species, although in life often of graceful form and of 

 beautiful colours, after death frequently become badly 

 distorted (especially when pinned) and discoloured ; nor can 

 they afterwards be properly set out. Most of the species 

 are small, and the colours of many are exactly similar to 

 those of other species, from which, however, they are 

 distinguished by strongly defined structural characters. J 



In many species of Hdcogaster the males have often 

 almost quite identical colours, but are easily distinguished 

 by the sculpture of the head. In Hypa.ttalus many 

 similarly coloured species are to be distinguished by the 

 front femora of the male, or the hind tibiae of the female. 

 In the Lycides I have given two small special tables of 

 species, which are separated by profound differences of 

 sculpture, and yet have a strong outward resemblance. 

 Owing also to the contraction which almost invariably 

 takes place, the shape of specimens of the same species 

 often appears very different. | 



A few of the species are very variable, but perhaps these 



* Excluding tlie then known synonyms, also a species wrongly 

 referred to the family, another entered twice, and another wrongly 

 recorded as Australian. 



t Some of these, however, are here noted as synonyms or varieties. 



X These, however, are often confined to the males. 



§ This is especially the case with the incision of the penultimate 

 segment of the abdomen of the males. 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1909. — PART I. (MAY) 



