258 



MALACODERMID^. 

 METRIOEHYNCHUS. 



M. vittatics, sp. nov. (mas). Piceo-niger, elytris (sutura late 

 picea excepta) testaceo-fuscis ; rostro quam latiore paullo 

 longiore ; prothorace 7-areoiato ; elytris quadricostatis, 

 interstitiis biseriatim caucellato-puuctulatis. Long. 5 1. 

 The autennse are strongly flabellate ; the produced part o£ 

 joints three to ten is slender, that of three equal in length to 

 the joint, that of four to ten longer than the length of the 

 several joints. The thorax is a little reddish on the sides, 

 which are strongly elevated ; its base is strongly trisinuate and 

 its area small (the width across the base scarcely equalling that 

 of one of the elytra at its widest part). The pitchy stripe 

 which runs down the suture occupies its width the w^hole space 

 "between the fourth interstices of the two elytra, and terminates 

 at a distance from the apex about equal to the length of the 

 thorax. The elytra are gently dilated to considerably behind 

 the middle. The pairs of rows of punctures between the costse 

 on the elytra are separated by distinct lines. The penultimate 

 ventral segment is incised nearly to the base by a parallel- 

 sided incision. 



A single specimen occurred to me at Port Lincoln, on 

 flowers. 



N.B. — I possess a female, also from Port Lincoln, which I 

 think must be paired with the above-described male, in spite 

 of some structural discrepancies. It is considerably smaller 

 (3f 1.); the rostrum is shorter, being not quite so long as wide 

 {in the male it is nearly half again as long as wide), and the 

 thorax is less strongly sinuate behind, with the hinder angles 

 much less pronounced. In spite of these differences the 

 specimens agree so perfectly in all other respects — including 

 the very distinctive marking of the elytra — that (taking into 

 account their having been found on the same day and on 

 flowers of the same tree) I do not feel justified in treating them 

 as distinct species. The antennae, of course, differ in the 

 manner that is usual in the genus. 



M. Meyrichi, sp. nov. (mas). ]S"iger ; elytris (sutura apiceque 



nigris exceptis) rufis; rostro nullo; prothorace 7-areolato; 



elytris basi quadricostatis, costis prima et tertia postice 



subobsoletis ; interstitiis uniseriatim cancellato-punctu- 



latis. Long. 3—31 1. 



The antennae are verj' strongly dentate, each of joints three 



to ten being a trifle longer than wide, and at its apex (which is 



not emarginate) about twice as wide as at its base. The seven 



areolae of the thorax are very clearly defined ; the base of the 



thorax is rather strongly trisinuate, and the hinder angles quite 



