OF NEW ZEALAND. 249 



Parnida. 



Nov. gen. 



The only exponent of this genus, known to me, exhibits the following 

 prominent characters : 



Body oblong, transversely convex, depressed at the junction of the 

 thorax and elytra. 



Antenna short, stout, ten-jointed, inserted in a deep fossa below, in 

 front of the eyes ; the basal joint very large, oblong ; second inserted at 

 right angles, near the end of the first, almost obconical, about half the 

 size of the first; joints three to ten form a large compact strongly 

 dentate (inwardly) club, of which the last is the shortest ; they are 

 pilose. Palpi short and stout, their penultimate joint obconical, the 

 last larger, sub-ovate, obliquely produced to an obtuse point. Mandibles 

 bifid at apex. Mentum angularly excised in front. Labrum transverse, 

 truncate at apex. Head retractile ; eyes small, convex, very coarsely 

 facetted. Prothorax almost conical, broader than long, deeply furrowed 

 near the sides above and below. Scutellum transverse, rounded laterally. 

 Elytra elongate-ovate. 



Prosternal process longitudinally excavated, received into the cavity 

 of the mesosternum, porrected ; the latter deeply concave between the 

 middle coxae, and rather short ; metasternum rather short. Legs short 

 and stout; the femora dilated but narrowed towards their extremity, 

 deeply hollowed below for the reception of the tibiae ; these latter 

 arcuated externally, distended, and somewhat compressed, and grooved 

 along their outer face for the tarsi; tarsi thick, their terminal joint 

 nearly as long as the preceding four united. 



Abdomen with five segments, the first largest, the fifth conical, with a 

 considerable depression at its base. Front and middle coxa moderately 

 distant, posterior still more so. 



440. P. agrestis, n.s. Body oblong, moderately convex, moderate- 

 ly shining, piceous, reddish near the shoulders, legs and antennae red ; 

 it is thinly clad with fine long erect testaceous hairs. 



Head distinctly punctured, with two smooth elevated spots in front 

 of the eyes. Prothorax broader than long, narrowed anteriorly, very 

 little rounded laterally, with prominent hind angles ; the base is sub- 

 truncate, the disc convex, and its whole surface is coarsely punctured, 

 with a deep longitudinal groove situated at some distance from the side 

 margin. Elytra but little wider than thorax, widest behind the middle, 

 not much rounded at the sides, and a little produced behind ; they are 

 striate, the striae are not perceptibly punctured, deeply impressed at the 

 base, nearly obsolete on the middle, and their interstices are so punctu- 

 lated as to give them a somewhat rugulose appearance. The tibia and 

 tarsi bear fine yellowish hairs. 



Under-surface punctulate, pitchy-brown, and clothed with short 

 yellowish hairs. 



Length, -X lines ; breadth, I 



Of this curious insect I found one individual under a log at Tairua. 

 The parts of the mouth could not be examined in as satisfactory a 

 manner as I could have wished, owing to the immersion of the head 



H ii 



