Coleoptera from New Zealand. 309 



Tarastethus dubius, sp. n. 



Nitid, piceous, slightly rufescent ; the legs, antennas, and 

 palpi rufo-testaceous. 



Head more or less punctate across the middle. Thorax 

 about a sixth broader than long, slightly narrower in front 

 than at the base, the sides only moderately curved, gradually 

 and not sinuously narrowed behind ; basal angles rectan- 

 gular ; the discoidal furrow almost reaches the base and apex, 

 the whole basal region is rather flat and closely punctate, but 

 the fossae are shallow, narrow, and indistinct. Elytra broader 

 than the thorax, their grooves and punctures rather fine, the 

 former more distinct behind, but more or less obliterated near 

 the base ; the posterior carinas normal. 



This is closely allied to T. strenuus, and future research 

 may prove that it is a varietal form only; the elytra, how- 

 ever, are certainly different in shape, they are gradually nar- 

 rowed backwards from the middle thighs, and the sides and 

 margins become narrow before reaching the apical sinuations. 



Length 2|, breadth 1| lines. 



Wellington. A mounted specimen was sent to me by 

 Mr. G. V. Hudson, numbered 141. The abdomen is not 

 distinctly punctured. 



Tarastethus simulans, sp. n. 



Rufo-piceous, shining ; legs reddish, the antennas, palpi, 

 and tarsi rufo-testaceous. 



This makes a near approach to T. puncticollis (No. 1799), 

 but differs therefrom in having rather larger but less convex 

 eyes. The forehead is more or less distinctly punctured, 

 The thorax is broader, its posterior narrowing is longer and 

 more gradual ; the basal fossee are large, when seen from the 

 side they appear well limited, but they extend towards the 

 middle as broad depressions, which is not the case in No. 1799 • 

 the basal punctuation is not so close, some parts being nearly 

 smooth ; the lateral rims are finer towards the front, the disk 

 is quite free from the minute scattered punctures visible in 

 Sharp's T. puncticollis , and there is a curvate impression in 

 front. The elytra are less narrowed posteriorly \ the apices, 

 indeed, are rather broadly rounded, and the outer strias are 

 not so deeply impressed. The anterior tarsi have the fourth 

 joints somewhat prolonged underneath in the form of mem- 

 branous lobes. 



Underside more or less punctate ; the middle of the abdo- 



