CNEMACANTHIDAE. 597 



shoulder and with two or three larger punctures ; the lateral punctation 

 is a little coarser and less regular than the dorsal, the common smooth costa 

 near the side does not reach the base ; but there three granular elevations 

 occur ; the sculpture though irregular is not at all coarse or deep near 

 the extremity. 



Antennae shorter than the head and thorax, pubescent from the fourth 

 joint onwards. Outer angle of anterior tibiae more prominent than that 

 of the intermediate, the posterior simple. 



Underside almost smooth, the abdomen finely and irregularly wrinkled. 



The elytral sculpture of Castelnau's M. alternans accords better than 

 that of any other species, but the similitude almost ceases there. 



Length, 39 mm. ; breadth, 12 mm. 



Stephen Island. Described from a single female found by Mr. A. C. 

 O'Connor, of Wellington, on the 15th September, 1916. 



4158. Mecodema insulare sp. nov. 



Elongate, medially narrowed, slightly convex and nitid ; black, palpi, 

 antennae, and legs rufo-piceous. 



Head narrower than thorax, nearly smooth, with rather shallow frontal 

 striae and only one or two rugae near each eye ; labrum sex-punctate, 

 nearly truncate. Thorax cordate, only a fifth broader than long, base and 

 apex subtruncate, its sides rather finely margined and sex-punctate but 

 not at all crenulate, only feebly rounded and only slightly wider near the 

 front than at the middle, rather gradually narrowed towards the obtuse 

 hind angles ; its surface almost smooth, having only about four shallow 

 longitudinal basal striae, the central groove is distinct but does not extend 

 to either base or apex, basal foveae very small, quite punctiform. Elytra 

 oblong-oval, with curvedly narrowed shoulders, slightly broader than thorax 

 at the base, quite double its length ; their striae are rather deep, distinctly 

 and closely punctured, the outer three, on each, are rather deeper with 

 narrower and more convex interstices, the usually smooth space outside 

 the eighth stria does not reach the shoulder and has numerous moderate 

 punctures, behind especially, apical sculpture irregular. 



Antennae short, not extending as far as the middle of thorax, joints 

 5-11 finely and scantily pubescent and bearing a few fulvescent setae. 



Anterior tibiae smooth, with distinctly prominent outer angles, the others 

 slightly asperate, the hind pair hardly at all angulate. Basal four joints 

 of front tarsi cordiform, the first three with prominent external angles. 



Underside shining black, almost smooth, having only a few obsolete 

 transverse striae on the front of the presternum and terminal segment, 

 which is bipunctate at each side of the middle at the apex. Mentum tooth 

 simple. Terminal joint of maxillary palpi elongate, truncate at extremity. 



In appearance this is more like Metaglymma doulli (2611) than any 

 other member of the group, but the latter has rather broader and deeper 

 elytral striae and more convex interstices, and, moreover, the last joint 

 of the palpi is shorter and more oviform. Dr. Sharp states in his descrip- 

 tion of Mecodema sulcatum (1764) that its " thorax has a basal prolonga- 

 tion,'' it must therefore differ from M . insulare. ■ 



cJ. Length, 20 mm. ; breadth, 6 mm. 



Stephen Island. One, minus a leg, sent by Mr. A. C. O'Connor on the 

 29th October, 1916. 



