600 COLEOPTERA 



This curious and minute Longicorn in the proportions of its body 

 resembles the genus Deucalion rather than Xylotoles ; but the thorax is 

 unarmed at the sides. The basal joint of the antennae forms a pyriform 

 club, as in the genus Blax. Its chief peculiarities reside in the great 

 width of the pro- and mesosterna between the coxae, and in the very 

 thick clavate thighs, also in the robust filiform antennae, not ciliated, 

 but hairy on all sides, and with rather short joints, the third and fourth 

 not much longer than the rest. 



Auckland (Mr. Lawson) ; one example. 



NOTE. I found this species on Phormium tenax at Tairua. I believe 

 it affects the coast. 



Somatidia. 



Syst. Ceramb,p. 39. (Thomson). 



Gen. Parmena affine ; differt thorace haud armato, femoribusque 

 fortiter clavatis basi pedunculatis. Corpus ovatum, grosse punctatum. 

 Caput inter antennas haud concavum. Antenna filiformes, ciliatse ; 

 scapo ovato, articulo tertio cseteris paulo longioribus. Prosternum inter 

 coxas arcuatum. Mesosternum oblongum, declive. Epimerz mesotho- 

 racica obliqua, acetabula haud attingentia. Tibia intermedia extus 

 emarginatse. Ungues divaricati. 



1048. S. (Parmena) antarctica, White. Thorax thickly 



punctured ; base, sides, and sutural margin of elytra punctured, on each 

 elytron are two small tufts of hair placed longitudinally ; the whole of 

 the insect is clothed with a greyish pubescence, amongst which are some 

 longer and stiffer hairs ; across the middle of each elytron is a triangular 

 black spot extending to the posterior of the tufts, a large triangular 

 mark common to each elytron at the tip ; antenna and tibia banded 

 with brown. 



NOTE. The thorax is about as long as it is broad, with rounded 

 'sides ; the elytra are obovate, and rather wider than the thorax ; the 

 head is coarsely but remotely punctured, and bears a longitudinal 

 impressed line ; colour dark fuscous. 



Length, 2^-3 lines. 



1049. S. assimilata, n.s. This species, in general outline and 

 sculpture, is very similar to 6*. antarctica, so much so that, disregarding 

 its different colour, I had at first sight imagined it to be merely a 

 variety of that species. Head comparatively rather broad, distantly and 

 indistinctly punctured, with an indistinctly impressed central line. 

 Thorax moderately convex, about as long as broad, its sides rounded, 

 and surface punctured. Scutellum triangular. Elytra obovate (but 

 rather more acuminate than in S. antarctica), with a triangular fuscous 

 fascia near the middle, and an oblong apical patch of the same colour ; 

 there are two small tufts and an elongate humeral mark, fuscous, on 

 each ; the punctation is finer and closer than in White's species. The 



