167 



unfortunately contain no information regarding the structure of 

 the antennae and of the prosternal sulci, without which it is im- 

 possible to identify wath certainty the insects on which his 

 descriptions were founded. I have before me, however, three 

 species — from the localities cited in his memoir — which agree so 

 well with his very full account of superficial characters that I 

 regard their determination as not far short of certain. They, 

 however, are decidedly not typical Cryjotorlwpala. Reitter says 

 in a note that tw^o of his species are superficially more like 

 Trogodermata but he adds that their antennte and antennal 

 furrows are accordant with Cryptorhopahun. This seems un- 

 favorable for my identification but does not change my opinion. 

 The specimens that I identify with the two species referred to — 

 variahile, Reitt., and Erichsoni, Reitt. — are of Trogoderma facies 

 but their antennae and antennal furrows are not those of typical 

 species of either Tvogoderina or CryptorlwpalvAn, but are like 

 those of Anthrenns — i.e. the antennas have their club less com- 

 pact and more elongate than in CryjDtorhopalum, and are received 

 in sharply cut furrows placed trans vers ly along the front margin 

 of the prosternum. I am therefore of opinion that Reitter was 

 incorrect in his observation of the antennal characters of these 

 insects. I have no doubt that Reitter's three species belong to 

 a genus not yet recorded — at any rate as Australian — but inas- 

 much as I am not sure that the genus may not have been 

 described on examples from some other country — and many 

 Dennestid genera are of extremely wide distribution — I do not 

 propose a new name for it, but shall treat it for the present as a 

 section of Cryptorhopalum. The Australian species of the genus 

 hitherto described whose antennae and prosternal sulci are typical 

 are aitstralicum, Blackb., Woodvillense, Blackb., Quornense, 

 Blackb., and interioris, Blackb.; those having the antennae and 

 antennal furrows Anthrenus-\ike are confertum, Reitt., variahile, 

 Reitt., and australis (Anthrenus), Hope. Beside the above there 

 remains C. ohscurum, Macl., on the description of which it is 

 impossible to found any judgment ; Macleay himself, however, 

 expresses the opinion that the insect is not a true Cryptorhopahiin 

 and it is perhaps safe to assume that opinion to be correct. 

 C. Erichsoni, Reitt, appears to be a synonym of 

 C, {Anthrenns) australe, Hope. 



I cannot find any conspicuous external characters distinguishing 

 the sexes of the species of Cryptorhopalum. In the species of 

 which I have seen numerous specimens, however, some are a little 

 more elongate in form and have slightly more sparse puncturation 

 than others ; these I regard as males. Reitter does not refer to 

 the Lexual characters of his species beyond the remark in the 

 description of C. confertum (which he describes as "subopacum") 



