120 



perhaps on a casual inspection a place not far from Deretaphriis 

 would be thought of, — but many of its characters are quite in- 

 consistent with such a place ; and in Lacordaire's classification it 

 would have to stand in the Synchitides . 



P. novica, sp. nov. Sat elongata, pos tice angustata ; ferruginea; 



capite prothoraceque supra crebre minus fortiter punctulatis ; 



hoc transverso, jequali, lateribus antice leviter arcuatis, 



circiter medium subangulatis (hinc ad basin subsinuatim 



convergentibus), angulis anticis vix productis posticis acute 



rectis, margine antico supra fere recta quam basis manifesto 



latiori, hac fere recta ; scutello sat magno, transverso : 



elytris vix manifeste punctulatis, costulis circiter 8 (his 



nonnihil arcuatis) subtilibus ornatis. Long., If 1.; lat., ^ 1. 



It will be noticed that the outline of the prothorax resembles 



that of Deretaphrus, but the segment is quite strongly transverse. 



The fine elevated lines on the elytra are slightly arched (the 



extremities of each inclined outward). 



Queensland ; Townsville (from Mr. F. P. Dodd). 



DERETAPHRUS. 



This genus seems to be very numerous in species although a 

 comparatively small number have been descrilaed. Its species 

 are closely allied and more or less variable, — especially in respect 

 of size. Before describing new species it seems desirable to 

 make some remarks on those already named. In Masters' 

 Catalogue 11 species are enumerated, and Mr. Lea has since 

 described four species. D. imteus, ISTewm., has been shown to be 

 a Bothrideres (Journ. Ent. I., p. 460) and D. granulipennis, 

 Reitt. is (see below) identical with Erichsonl, Newm. 

 D. Wollastoni, Newm., is probably not a Deretaphrus ; at any 

 rate it is very different from any species before me, its pronotum 

 being described as having a median depression on the basal half 

 and on either side a carina extending from the hind angle of the 

 pronotum straight forward (not following the lateral margin) 

 towards the front of the segment. This reduces the number of 

 valid Deretaphri to 12. On seven of these I remark as follows. 

 D. Pascoei, Macl. is not recognisable by the description which 

 would fit several species (e.g. fosstis, Newm. and ignarus, Pasc.) ; 

 as it is from Queensland (from which place I have not seen any 

 Deretaphri) it is, — if a valid species, — not likely to be before me. 

 D. aiialis, Lea, is described as having its upper surface " almost 

 impunctate ;" it also is from a locality (Northern N. S. Wales) 

 very remote from those of the Deretaphri I have examined, and 

 none of them approaches Mr. Lea's insect in respect of the 

 character I have mentioned. D. xanthorrhosce, Lea, and parvieeps, 

 Lea (both from W. Australia) are not described as in the least 



