( 365 ) 



XX. The Blind Coleoptcra of Australia and Tasmania. 

 By Arthur M. Lea, F.E.S., Government Ento- 

 mologist, Tasmania. 



[Read October 5th, 1905. j 



Blind Coleoptera in Australia are principally to be taken 

 under stones, or at the roots of beach-growing plants. In 

 other parts of the world many species have been taken in 

 caves, but so far no one has so taken them in Australia, 

 although they have been specially searched for on several 

 occasions. I have myself searched for them without 

 success in caves in Western Australia, New South Wales, 

 and Tasmania. The total number of blind species 

 (including one now first described) recorded from Aus- 

 tralia and Tasmania is but eight (four from Tasmania, 

 two from New South Wales, and two from Western 

 Australia, a number probably far short of the total to be 

 obtained by diligent searching. All the species are of 

 small size with, as elsewhere, the body apterons and elytra 

 soldered together. 



Following are given notes on all the known species. 



carabim:.* 



ILLAPHANUS STEPHENS!, Macl. 



In company with Messrs. H. J. Carter and E. Ferguson 

 at Otford, my brother (Mr. A. H. T. Lea) at Watson's Bay 

 near Sydney and Mr. R. Helms, also at Watson's Bay, I 

 have recently (April 1905) taken specimens of this inter- 

 esting little species. The original locality was Wollongong, 

 but the late Rev. R. L. King also took the species at 

 Parramatta and Mr. H. W. Cox has taken it at the Lane 

 Cove River. It is thus fairly widely distributed, and that 



* Steganomma porcatum, Macl., was recorded (P. L. S., N.S.W., 

 1904, p. 60) as blind, but it really has eyes, although these are small 

 and very difficult to find. 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1905. — PART IV. (DEC.) 25 



