174 



MICROCH^TES. 



The number of species that have been attributed to this genus 

 is six, but only four of them seem to be rightly placed there. 

 M. costalus, Macl., is stated by its author to represent in all 

 probability^ a new genus and its description does not read at all 

 like that of a Microchcetes. M. minor, King, is described as 

 having tetramerous tarsi — which at once removes it from this 

 aenus — and its very small size and upper surface devoid of fasci- 

 cles render it very unlikely to be a Alicrochcstes even if ii-s 

 author was mistaken about the number of joints in its tarsi. Of 

 the remaining four species the description of M. (Byrrhus) australis, 

 Boisd., is perfectly useless and would fit any member of the 

 genus that I have seen — except perhaps a specie^ described 

 below which is differently colored — while 31. sphoericus, Hope, 

 could certainly not be identified with confidence except by 

 examination of specimens from the original locality — Western 

 Australia ; the few characters mentioned are found in several 

 species before me. Thus there are only two known species of 

 which any serious count can be taken as being intelligibly 

 described, viz., 3£. scoparius, Er., and fascicular is, Macl. The 

 former of these two is known to me, while the description of the 

 latter mentions a row of five fascicles behind the transverse 

 furrow on the pronotum — a character that distinguishes it from 

 all that I have seen of the genus. I have, however, some speci- 

 mens kindly given me by Mr. Lea under the name oi fascicularis, 

 Macl., and presumably named by comparison with the type — but 

 they have only the four fascicles attributed to M. sphoericus, 

 Hope, and present in several of the species before me. The 

 presence of a fifth fascicle on the row on the pronotum would be 

 a remarkable character as it would have to be on the centre line 

 of the segment and consequently would interrupt the smooth 

 dorsal space that exists in even the most strongly tuberculate of 

 the species before me. The following is a tabular statement of 

 the characters of the species known to me. 



A. Elytra with fascicles between the seventh interstice and the lateral 

 margin. 

 B. Puncturation of metasternum coarse in front 



but much finer behind ... ... ... Jasciadaris,M&c\.'i 



BB. Puncturation of metasternum even or nearly 

 so. 

 C. Puncturation of metasternum extremely 



coarse ... ... ... ••• solidus, Blackb. 



CC. Puncturation of metasternum very much 



finer .^ ... ... •■. scoparius, Er. 



AA. No fascicles on the elytra beyond the fifth 



interstice ... ... ... ... nigrovarius, Blackb 



AAA The seventh interstice of the elytra is the last 



fasciculate interstice ... ... ... colorattis, B\a.ckh. 



