54 Mr. F. P. Pascoe on new Genera and 



Irenimus. 



nostrum parum elongatum, modice robustum, versus apicem mani- 

 feste crassius, apice triangulariter emarginato ; scrohes breves, 

 apicales. Antennce graciles ; sea-pus protboracera attingens ; funi- 

 culus articulo prirao vix incrassato ; clava distiucta, Oculi sub- 

 tenuiter graniilati. Prothorn.v subcylindricus, basi rotundatus, 

 lobis ocularibus parum prominulis. Elytra elongato-cordata, basi 

 protborace manifeste latiora, bumeris obliquis. Femora crassa ; 

 tibice flexuoste, posticae corbellis subcavernosis. Abdomen seg- 

 mentis duobus basalibus ampliatis. Corpus squamosum. 



Allied to the Australian genus Perperus, differing princi- 

 pally in the base of the elytra exceeding the width of the pro- 

 thorax at the base. This is a character on which Lacordaire 

 lays great stress ; but in many genera it really seems to be 

 only of specific importance. 



Irenimus parilis. 



I. oblongus, niger, squamis obscure cervinis omnino dense tcctus, se- 

 tulisque nigris adspersus ; rostro capite duplo lougiore, antice 

 carinato ; antennis ferrugineis ; seapo squamoso ; fuuiculo arti- 

 cuhs tribus basalibus sensim brevioribus, caeteris obconicis ; pro- 

 tborace parum lougiore quam latiore, lateribus rotundatis, pone 

 medium subparallelis ; scutello inviso ; elytris seriatim punctatis, 

 interstitiis vix convexis, tibiis subbisinuatis, apice subacuminatis. 

 Long. 3| lin. 



Hah. Christchurch. 



Lyperobius. 

 Molyti affinis. Rostrum validum, rotundum ; mandibulce lamelli- 

 formes ; scrohes obliquse, oculos vix attingentes ; clava distiucta. 

 Prothorax lobis ocularibus paulo prominulis. Mytra ovalia. 

 Femora incrassata ; tibice apice baud laminatse. Abdomen seg- 

 mento secundo quam tertio paulo longiore. 



With nearly all the characters of the European Molytes, this 

 genus is principally distinguished by the tibiee being without 

 that peculiar external prolongation of the lamina which nor- 

 mally forms the floor of the hollow (corbel) above which the 

 tarsus is inserted, and also by the club of the antenna being 

 distinctly marked off from the funicle. The fine species con- 

 stituting the only exponent of the genus at present has been 

 recently discovered by Capt. Hutton at Tarndale, near the 

 head of the river Wairau, in the Nelson province. " It lives 

 on the spear-grass {Aciphylla Colensonis), and sucks its tur- 

 pentiny juices. The plant only grows on the mountains from 

 2000 to 5500 feet elevation." The insect is entirely black ; 

 but some of the specimens are sprinkled with a few fine straw- 

 coloured hairs. 



