OF NEW ZEALAND. 263 



with a strongly sinuated suture ; the rest of the head finely punctured. 

 The thorax is almost smooth, with a fuscous dorsal line. The elytra are 

 convex, and each bears nine finely punctured striae, with slightly convex 

 interstices ; their colour is green, with a fuscous suture and marginal 

 streak. Legs and antenna testaceous, the club of the latter dull blacL 

 Under-side fuscous, and clothed with short white hairs. Abdomen 

 punctulate. 



There are several varieties of this beautiful insect ; but I have been 

 unable to detect anything that would warrant distinct specific names. 

 Amongst the numerous specimens I have collected there is considerable 

 variation of colouration ; one I possess is opalescent, with red metallic 

 suture and thoracic stripe ; another is of a golden green and corresponds 

 with the Melolontha festiva of Fabricius ; a third is of a pale green, with 

 metallic-red suture, and yellowish sutural interstices ; in others the 

 thoracic and inter-marginal stripe are obsolete, with green tibiae. 



Owing to the somewhat contradictory descriptions, I thought it 

 advisable to substitute one by myself. 



462. P. edwardSl, Sharp; Ent. Man. Mag., August, 1876. 

 Supra minus laete viridis, cupreo-fusco refulgens, subtus fusca ; sine 

 lineis obscurioribus, sed sutura cupreo refulgente. 



Long, corp., 6J-8 mm. 



Mas. Tibiis anterioribus angustulis, rectis. 



This form differs from Melolontha festiva by its more obscure colour, 

 comparatively rather shorter and broader form, by the absence of stripe 

 on the thorax, and by the metallic suture and absence of the intra- 

 marginal lateral stripe of the elytra, and by the differences in the male 

 characters. In that sex the club of the antenna is rather longer than in 

 M. festiva ; the front tibia is more slender and is straight ; the apical 

 tooth is slender and very little directed outwards ; the basal joint of the 

 tarsus is short and inserted near the apex of the tibia. 



The only specimens I have seen of this species are fourteen in 

 number, and were sent me with other interesting New Zealand insects, 

 by Henry Edwards, Esq., of San Francisco, after whom I have named 

 the species. These specimens vary very little inter se, and the male 

 characters are exactly similar in the four specimens of that sex. 



463. P. SObrina, Sharp; Ent. Mon. Mag., September, 1876. 

 Supra opalescens, subtus rufescens, thorace vitta dorsali elytrisque 

 sutura fuscis. 



Long, corp., 6^-7 mm. 



Mas. Tibiis anterioribus latiusculis, rectis. 



This species is of a peculiar opalescent colour : and is readily dis- 

 tinguished from the species I have already named by the structure of 

 the male tibia and tarsi, which in some respects are intermediate 

 between those of the other two species. In that sex the club of the 

 antenna is rather long ; the front tibiae are short but rather broad ; they 

 are very little curved ; the basal joint of the tarsus is rather short, and 

 inserted at a moderate distance from the extremity. 



