OF NEW ZEALAND. 615 



Length, i-i line. 

 Found at Tairua. 



Pcecilippe. 



Bates ; Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.) Aug., 1874. 



Gen. Nicippcz et Disternce, prima facie simile, sed antennis basi baud 

 approximatis, acetabulis intermediis fere clausis et elytris apice rotunda- 

 tis. Caput ut in gen. Hybolasio, inter antennas concavum, fronte 

 quadrata. Antenna corpore longiores, graciles, ciliatae ; articulo primo 

 quam tertio multo breviore, clavato, basi extus magis angustato, tertio et 

 quarto caeteris singulis multo longioribus. Thorax brevis, antice et 

 postice transversim fortiter impressus, medio utrinque tuberculo forti 

 acuto armatus. Elytra elongato-subtrigona, modice convexa, tubere 

 utrinque basali elevato. Pro- et mesosterna inter coxas angusta. Aceta- 

 bula antica extus angulata, intermedia fere clausa. Femora clavata ; 

 tibia intermedia extus perparum emarginatee ; tarsi breves, articulo 

 primo omnium breviter triangulari. Ungues divaricati. 



Although resembling the Australian Disternce, in general appearance, 

 this genus differs much from them in structural characters and ap- 

 proaches much more nearly Hybolasius, the form of the scape of the 

 antennae being very nearly the same. The thorax, however, is much 

 shorter, and has a far larger and more acute median spine. The 

 apical ventral segment is much elongated and broadish at the apex in 

 my single specimen ; but I suspect this is a sexual character, otherwise 

 it would be a good structural distinction from Hybolasius. 



1082. P. stictica, Bates ; Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Aug., 1874. 

 P. nigro-fusca, nitida, antennis pedibusque castaneis; thorace sparsim 

 ochreo-pubescente, impunctato, tuberculis discoidalibus tribus parvis ; 

 elytris apice obtuse rotundatis, grosse punctatis, punctis versus apicem 

 spaFsioribus ; griseo maculatim pubescentibus, maculaque tomentosa 

 ochracea reniformi utrinque ad trientem longitudinis ornatis. 



The close grey pubescence of the elytra is divided by the large 

 punctures, producing a spotty appearance ; these large punctures are 

 very dense near the base, but become confined to lines posteriorly, 

 leaving smooth spaces, and as such extend to* the apex. 



Long., 4 lin. 



Auckland (Mr. Lawson) ; one specimen. 



NOTE. I have taken several specimens of this species at Tairua ; it 

 varies somewhat in colouration, some examples being a reddish rather 

 than blackish-brown. 



1083. P. flavipes, White ; Voy. Er. Terr., Ins., p. 21. Thorax 

 much wider than long, with a strong somewhat recurved spine behind ; 

 head and thorax with yellowish hairs, in some parts rather deeply 

 punctate ; base of elytra punctate, in the middle of each a tubercular 

 wart, elytra covered with close greyish hairs, amongst which are some 

 short stiffish hairs of a darker colour ; four of the segments of abdomen 

 beneath with four largish yellow marks on each on a black ground ; 



