330 MISCELLANEA ENTOMOLOGICA, 



COPTOCARPUS NITIDUS. 

 Long. 5 lin. 



Niger nitidus convexus, thorace tenuiter canaliculate ad latera 



oblique impresso sub-piceo, elytris leviter punctato-striatis, 



antennis palpis tarsisque rufis. 



This pretty little species is very like G. Gonvextis Casteln. 



There is uo scutellar stria, but the stria which runs parallel 



and close to the suture is interrupted near the scutellum. Its 



habitat is Cape York. 



In his " Notes on Australian Coleoptera," published in Mel- 

 bourne, in 1867, Count Castelnau has distributed the Gnemacan' 

 thidce of Australia among six genera — Mecodema Blanch., Maoria 

 Casteln., Promocoderiis Dej., Parroa Casteln., Adotela Casteln., 

 and Gerotalis Casteln. The two first of these are chiefly found in 

 New Zealand, and are srflficiently distinct, but the other four 

 genera are much alike, and in fact were all classed as Promecoderus 

 until the publication of the Count's Paper. The new genera I 

 believe to be undoubtedly good, but Count Castelnau has not done 

 himself or his genera justice in the very careless way in which he 

 has characterized them. 



According to his statement, the distinctive characters may be 

 summed up as follows : — 



Promecoderus : Mentum with the lateral lobes round, and a 

 slightly bifid median tooth. Palpi oval and truncate. Pour first 

 joints of the anterior tarsi dilated in the males, and furnished 

 beneath with spongy brushes. 



Parroa : Mentum large, without median tooth, and pointed at 

 the inner angles of the lateral lobes. Palpi thick, oval, and 

 truncate. Four first joints of the anterior tarsi in the males 

 triangular, slightly dilated, and armed beneath with strong hairs. 



Adotela : Mentum like Parroa. Palpi strongly securiform. 

 Three first joints of anterior tarsi dilated, and furnished beneath 

 with spongy brushes. 



Ceeotalis : Mentum with median tooth, lateral lobes rounded. 



