112 



PHLCEOCARABUS. 



The following species is a member of this genus according to 

 Mr. Sloane's definition of it in his remarks on the Lehiides in 

 Proc. L.S., N.S.W., 1898. It has all the structural characters 

 that I have quoted above as distinctive of Diahaticus with the 

 exception that its head is abruptly (not obliquely) narrowed 

 behind the eyes, which Mr. Sloane says is the case with species 

 that he places in PhlcBOcarahus. It is to be noted, however, 

 that De Chaudoir proposed a new generic name {Notoxena) for 

 one of those species — in Mr. Sloane's opinion incorrectly. The 

 fact is that the genera of the Lehiides (as Mr. Sloane points out, 

 quoting Dr. Horn in confirmation) are in a very serious state of 

 confusion; and there are not a few genera — Phlfsocarahus in- 

 cluded — to which it is not in my opinion wise to refer any species 

 without specifying the characters on which the reference is 

 founded, to enable future authors when difficulties are cleared 

 up, to determine the proper place of such species. The following 

 species is certainly, I think, identical generically with the insect 

 that Mr. Sloane calls Phlceocarahus {Trigonolhops, Macl.; 

 Notoxena^ Chaud.) ; nigricollis^ Macl., from which I do not find 

 it to differ structurally in any respect except that its head is a 

 little shorter and its tarsi are more slender, 



P. Farince^ sp. nov. Glaber ; testaceus, capite prothoraceque 

 rufescentibus, in elytris regione scutellari, sutura (apice 

 summo excepto) et fascia postmediana piceis, hac postice 

 serrata ; oculis leviter nee subtiliter manifeste granulatis ; 

 prothorace sat fortiter trans verso, supra transversim subtiliter 

 rugato, longitudinaliter canaliculato^ ad latera late ex- 

 planato, antice parum emarginato, lateribus pone medium 

 sinuatis, angulis posticis acute rectis, basi media sat fortiter 

 lobata; elytris coriaceis, striatis, interstitiis leviter convexis, 

 S'' puncturis 3 instructis (punctura postica ad apicem sum- 

 mum posita) ; tarsis sat gracilibus. Long., 2 — 2^ 1.; lat., 

 4—1 1. ' " , 



The width of the post-median fascia and the size of the 

 scutellar blotch in one of my two specimens are considerably 

 greater than in the other. This evidence of variability renders 

 it impossible to specify any difference between this species and 

 P. nigricollis, Macl, in respect of color and markings except 

 that the head and prothorax are bright rufo-testaceous in this 

 species. Compared with P. nigricollis this species apart from 

 color has an almost similar pronotum which however is a little 

 less explanate laterally and has hind angles a trifle sharper ; the 

 sculpture of its elytra is scarcely different, perhaps a trifle less 

 deep. The much smaller size, the shorter head and the consider- 



