OF NEW ZEALAND. 553 



OBS. This very remarkable insect is readily distinguished by the 

 rounded scutellar angles of the elytra ; its place among the New Zea- 

 land species at present known is next to Anthribus alt us, and, in the_ 

 present state of the classification of the Anthribida, should find its place~ 

 near the species of Cratoparis. 



Sent from Tairua by Captain Broun. 



974. A. huttoni, Sharp ; Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., June, 1876. 

 A. capite rostrato, oculis prominulis, cinereo-, griseo-fuscoque tomen- 

 tosus ; antennis femoribusque piceis, tibiis tarsisque rufescentibus ; pro- 

 thorace conico, angulis posterioribus acutis, carina basi sub-contigua. 



Long. Corp., 4^ mm. 



Body clothed with grey, ashy, and fuscous hair-like scales, which 

 form on the elytra an indistinct tessellated pattern. Antenna dark red 

 or pitchy, either shorter than the length of the insect, or nearly reaching 

 that length ; they are moderately stout ; second joint about equal in 

 length to the first, rather more slender than it ; third joint longer than 

 any of the others ; eighth joint similar in shape to the seventh, and but 

 little shorter than it; ninth almost triangular, becoming gradually broader 

 from its base to its extremity ; the three apical joints form a rather 

 broad, flattened club, of variable length. Head in front of the eyes 

 with a broad flat rostrum, which is a little dilated towards the extremity, 

 its front edge being scarcely emarginate ; the antennal cavities are near 

 the apex of the rostrum, rather widely separated from the eye ; they are 

 foveiform, being slightly prolonged towards one another on the under- 

 face of the rostrum ; the eyes are large and prominent, not emarginate, 

 their front part encroaching a little on the front of the rostrum. Thorax 

 only about half as broad at its front margin as at its base, its carina 

 very close to the elytra (but not applied to them) in front of the scutel- 

 lum, then gently sinuate on each side so as to form the hind angle of 

 the thorax, which is acute and extends quite as far outwards as the 

 shoulder of the elytra ; the lateral portion of the carina forms the lateral 

 margin of the hind portion of the thorax, and does not extend quite so 

 far forwards as half the length of the thorax. The elytra are very con- 

 vex transversely, and so densely clothed that their sculpture is quite 

 obscured. The legs are long and slender, and the basal joint of the 

 tarsi is as long as the three following together. 



In the male the antennae are variable in length, but are generally 

 longer and stouter than in the female ; in this latter sex also they 

 appear to be variable in their development. The two sexes may be 

 readily distinguished by the form of the last ventral plate, which in the 

 female is much more elongate than in the male, and is shaped so that its 

 middle part forms a sort of projection. 



OBS. i. In certain specimens the elytra are marked by a dark trans- 

 verse fascia across the middle, of which there is no trace in other 

 specimens. 



OBS. 2. This species is one whose position in the accepted classi- 

 fication of the group I should find it very difficult to define. In respect 

 to the peculiar form of the hind angles of the thorax, and the position 

 of the thoracic carina, it forms a decided point of connection with 



x iii 



