294 



eighth groups by the combination of a peculiar sculpture of 

 the perpendicular front face of the clypeus, with antenna! 

 club of only tliree joints in both sexes. The remainder of the 

 section "DD" consists of species closely resembling each other 

 ^with a few exceptions) in respect of facies, but conveniently 

 divisible into two groups (the fifth and sixth), in one of which 

 the sides of the prothorax are sinuate behind the middle and 

 the antennal club has four joints (the first usually much 

 shorter than the second in the females), while in the other the 

 sides of the prothorax are not sinuate behind the middle and 

 the antenna] club has in both sexes only three joints. i 



I have not found any uniform external difference between 

 the sexes in TIaplovyclia, except in the antennal club. The 

 lamellae of this are longer in the males than in the females, 

 but not different in number, altbough in the siDCcies in which 

 the club has more than three lamellae the first of them is usu- 

 ally much abbreviated in the female, but very rarely (T think 

 B. hflki, Blackb., supplies the only instance), so much abbre- 

 viated that it is not very obviously a lamella of the club. 



In dealing with the species of this genus it is necessary 

 to begin by discussing those described by the earlier authors, 

 inasmuch as their descriptions are for the most part extremely 

 brief and devoid of any mention of the structural cliaracters 

 that are the most valuable for purposes of identification. The 

 earliest species of thoS€ subsequently attributed to Hajjlonycha 

 are Melolonfha ohesa, Boisd.. M. A ."ifrnlnhei . Boisd., and M. 

 cilinfa, Boisd. (described in 1835). Burmeister subsequently 

 described as the first of these an insect which it 

 seems probable was not Boisduval's type, but a Hap- 

 lonycha, believed by Burmeister to be identical with 

 the type, and in that identification I have little 

 doubt he was mistaken. Assuming M. ohrsn to be a TJof- 

 lonycha (which I fear is not certain), its description happens 

 to mention two characters that in combination are very un- 

 usual in tlie genus, viz.. ''head and thorax black" and ''pro- 

 thorax rugulose-punctulate." Now. Burmeister says of what 

 he calls "nhe^a, Boisd.," that it is entirely (veherall) shining 

 castaneous-brown, and makes no reference to its prothorax 

 being rugulose. My own opinion is that ^f . ohem, Boisd., is 

 the species of which Burmeister described a variety as M. 

 gnqafina. Tt is one of the very few species of the genus that 

 seems subject to considerable variation in colour (its head and 

 prothorax are always, so far as T have observed, black, while 

 its elytra vary from dark ferruginous to black). It is found 

 in New South Wales, the presumable liahitat of M . ohesa, 

 Boisd., and the puncturation of the pronotum is more inclined 



