NEW ZEALAND BVKKHI I) AK. 



Group BYRRHIDAE. 



Nosodendron Latreille. Lacordaire, Hist, des Ins. Coleopt., torn, ii, 



p. 478. 



Head not retracted during repose. Labrum indistinct. Antennae 11- 

 articulate, inserted below the sides of the head ; club abruptly enlarged, 

 3-jointed. Tarsi simple, pentamerous. 



Nosodendron ovatum Broun. Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 212. {Fig. 1.) 



Oval, convex, subopaque, fusco-piceous ; bearing numerous short ful- 

 vescent setae, some of which are decumbent and a little thicker than the 

 more numerous erect ones ; legs and antennae piceo-rufous. club rulo- 

 castaneous. 



Head quite as long as broad, gradually narrowed anteriorly ; evenly, 

 distinctly, yet not closely punctured, more finely and densely in front. 

 Eyes quite lateral, transverse, not prominent. Thorax twice as broad 

 as long, base widely rounded, with obtuse angles ; the sides nearly straight, 

 but gradually narrowed towards the acute anterior angles ; its sculpture 

 slightly finer and closer than that of the head. Scutellurn moderate, tri- 

 angular, minutely punctate. Elytra as broad as thorax at the base, cioselv 

 applied thereto, curvedly narrowed posteriorly, their punctation similar 

 to that of the. thorax. 



Antennae shining, 2nd joint as long as the exposed portion of the basal 

 oik', but not as stout; 3rd elongate and slender, quite the length of the 

 following 2 combined, both of these latter distinctly longer than broad ; 

 7th slightly broader than 6th; 8th transverse, obconical, rather broader 

 than the preceding one ; club finely pubescent, abruptly marked off. un- 

 symmetrical, the joints being attached to each other outside of the middle, 

 and therefore appearing to be dilated inwardly, its basal joint inwardly 

 narrowed behind, the intermediate rather shorter and more transversal, 

 the terminal rather larger and subrotimdate. 



Femora broad at the base, gradually narrowed outwardly. Tibia* 

 slender at the base gradually expanded, so as to be almost elongate- 

 triangulax : they are finely denticulate, or spinose externally. Tarsi short, 

 their terminal joint only extending beyond the outer extremity of the tibiae. 



Underside distinct]}' punctate, with short setae. Prosternal process 

 cuneiform, narrowed behind, not projecting beyond the coxae. Meso- 

 sternum delimited by a fine straight suture between the intermediate coxae. 

 with a rather narrow, polished, median cavity in front. Metasternum 

 elongate. Ventral segments with strongly sinuated sutures, the basal 4 

 about equal, 5th longest. 



The insect in its natural state is usually covered with sappy matter, 

 which must be removed before the sculpture and clothing can be seen. 



Length, 2— 2f lines ; breadth, l£-lf lines. 



Tairua, Waitakerei, and Hunua Ranges. Four specimens in my own 



c 



ollection. 



Nosodendron zealandicum Sharp. Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 1106. 



Oval, convex, black, moderately nitid ; sparingly, very finely, and 

 indistinctly pubescent : antennae and legs rufo-piceous. club dull fuscous; 

 rather densely and finely punctate, the elytra with several series of fine 

 pund ures near the base. 



