273 



PLATXDEMA. 



P. fosmlata, sp. nov. Eotuudato-ovalis ; sat convexa ; sub- 

 nitida ; supra nigra ; clypeo antice, autennis, palpis, et 

 elytrorum singulorum maculis duabus, testaceo-rufis ; 

 subtus briinneo-testacea ; pedibus testaceis ; capite postice 

 profunde (maris ?), leviter (feminae ?) concavo. Long. 2 1., 

 lat. \\ 1. 

 The bead and protborax are moderately strongly, and not 

 very closely, punctured. The width o£ the protborax at its 

 base is more than twice its length down the middle, and nearly 

 twice the width of its front margin ; the front margin is almost 

 truncate, the base strongly bisinuate, the sides arcuately 

 narrowed from base to front ; the hind corners are rectangular 

 and there is a well defined elongate longitudinal fovea on either 

 side at the base half-way between the middle and the hind 

 angles. The elytra are quite strongly striated, the striae rather 

 finely and closely punctured ; the interstices are wide and 

 gently convex (more sharply so towards the sides and apex) 

 and are evenly, very finely, and not closely punctured. The 

 red markings consist of a small ill-defined patch at the humeral 

 angle and an irregular wide stripe on the lateral margin com- 

 mencing a little behind the middle and extending to the apex. 

 The portion of the head between the eyes is occupied in one of 

 my specimens by a very deep, somewhat semicircular excavation, 

 the sides of which form on either side a strong convex ridge 

 between it and the eye, in the other specimen by a wide shallow 

 depression. 



This species would appear to be somewhat allied to 

 P. limacella, Pasc, and to differ from it, inter alia, in the mark- 

 ings of the protborax and elytra, in the absence of depression 

 on the part of the protborax near the scutellum, in the 

 presence of longitudinal foveae at the base of the protborax, 

 and in the characters of the head in the male (supposing, and 

 I think there is no doubt, that one at least of my specimens is 

 a male). The elougated basal joint of the hind tarsi, the 

 antennae much longer than the protborax, the complete epi- 

 pleural fold of the elytra, &c., distinguish it from HoplocepliaJa, 

 which in some respects it resembles. 



Port Lincoln. In a rotten trunk of Casuarina. 



MESOTEETIS. 

 M. ferrugineus, Bates (var. ?). Among a number of Coleoptera 

 sent to me from Western Australia last year by E. Meyrick, 

 Esq., I. find a single example appertaining to this genus which 

 I think is probably a variety of the above species. It differs, 

 bowever, in some particulars that it seems desirable to place on 

 record. The blackish markings mentioned by Mr. Bates are 



