Australian and Tasmanian Malacoderniidae. 243 



Dasytes nigricans, Hope, I. c, p. 105. 



The original description of tiiis species is quite useless ; 

 it may quite possibly have been founded upon one of the 

 varieties of the above species,but without examination of the 

 type, or of a specimen that had been compared with the 

 type, I would not care to accept the name for any species, 

 even from Adelaide. 



Ifah. S. Australia : Adelaide. 



Dasytes squiresensis, Blackb., T. R. S., S.A., 1892, p. 38. 



I have a co-type of this species. Its elytra when viewed 

 from the sides are seen to be covered with numerous short, 

 semi-erect hairs in addition to the pubescence, and its tro- 

 chanters (in addition to other parts of the legs) are red. 

 The hind angles of its prothorax are strongly rounded. 



In the species a variable number of joints of the antennae 

 are pale, but the first is always of a deep glossy black, and 

 in striking contrast to the bright red second joint. 



Rah. S. Australia : Mount Squires ; W. Australia : 

 Geraldton. 



Dasytes helmsi, Blackb,, /. c, p. 38. 



The original description of this species is very brief, and 

 although sufficient to prevent it from being confounded 

 with the preceding, is too short for its positive identifica- 

 tion. Mr. Blackburn, however, has been good enough to 

 give me a specimen (the only one I have seen) of it. This 

 specimen is very densely clothed with almost snowy-white 

 pubescence, the elytra are without semi-upright hairs and 

 are very indistinctly punctate, more on account of the 

 small size of the punctures themselves than through being 

 partially concealed by the clothing, towards the base they 

 are fairly distinct, however. The prothorax is without 

 depressions, is feebly rounded at the base and its entire 

 base is closely applied to the elytra and is of almost 

 exactly their width at base, although distinctly narrower 

 than across their middle. 



Hah. S. Australia : Elder Expedition.* 



* Exact locality not given. 



R 2 



