Australian and Tasmanian Malacodermidae. 229 



and dbliquiceps but is much less excavated than usual, the 

 concave portion has a trisinuate outline posteriorly ; seen 

 from behind it appears to be in two distinct lobes and no 

 tubercles appear (nor in fact are there any such). The 

 strigosities are more distinct at the sides than elsewhere. 

 Although at first sight apparently a variety of varius the 

 shape of the head of the male is so totally different as to 

 render the two species easily separable. 



Helcogaster maculiceps, n. sp. {Fig. 11.) 



^ . Flavous or reddish-flavous ; a spot in middle of base of head, 

 scutellum, elytra (except at base and the sides to beyond the middle), 

 metasternum, abdomen (to a variable extent) and apical two-thirds 

 of antennae, black or blackish. 



Head with basal half distinctly punctate and (especially at the 

 sides) transversely strigose ; 'largely excavated between eyes, the 

 excavation trisinuate posteriorly, the median sinus deeper and wider 

 than the lateral ; middle of excavation with a small obtuse tubercle, 

 front with a large concave tubercle. Antennae long, but not very 

 thin, almost touching hind coxae. Prothorax longer than wide, 

 rather widely and shallowly impressed towards base. Elytra almost 

 impunctate. Basal joint of front tarsi about one-third of their total 

 length, with an inner black rim. 



Length to apex of elytra 2j, of abdomen 4i mm. 



$ . Differs in having the head less transverse, the eyes smaller and 

 more frontal in position, a semicircular impression in front, the 

 antennae shorter and thinner, the prothorax shorter and the front 

 tarsi simple. 



Hah. N. S. Wales : National Park, Bulli (A. 31. Lea). 



The black spot on the head is slightly variable in size, 

 but apart from this is quite constant and distinct in both 

 sexes, so that the female is more distinct than usual in 

 the species and varieties having similarly coloured elytra. 

 The legs (except for a slight infuscation of the tarsi) are 

 frequently almost entirely pale, but often have the femora 

 (to a variable extent) dark at the base, and occasionally 

 the tibiae are infuscate in the middle. In the female the 

 head often has a black patch on its lower surface. The 

 abdomen varies from being almost entirely dark to dark 

 only along the middle, and both upper and lower surfaces 

 are variable. In colour of elytra it is much like the 

 typical form of varius, but (apart from colour of head and 



