1024 COLEOPTEKA 



niger ; pedibus, palpis, antennisque testaceis, femoribus basi nigro, 

 palpis apice infuscato ; elytris striatis, interstitiis parce obsoleteque 

 punctatis. 



Long., 4mm. 



Eyes very prominent ; thorax sinuate at the sides, with the angles 

 rounded, and a broad, rather indistinct impression on the disc, and 

 a slight ciliation near the front angles ; scutellum metallic, closely 

 punctate ; elytra convex, very regularly and distinctly striate, the 

 the striae distinctly punctured, the scanty punctuation " of the inter- 

 stices quite indistinct. 



A specimen of this species was first sent to me by G. M. Thompson, 

 Esq., from Dunedin, and shortly afterwards Mr. Helms sent three 

 individuals from Greymouth. 



OBS. In Berosus mergus the two hind pairs of femora are densely 

 and minutely sculptured and pubescent near the base, but beyond 

 there are numerous distinct punctures with short grey hairs pro- 

 ceeding from them. The thorax has a feeble dorsal impression, and 

 its basal angles are just about rectangular though not at all acute. 

 The scutellum is metallic. The elytral striae differ from those of 

 P. pallidipennis . T. B. 



Group- ALEOCHARID-ffi. 



Aphytopus. 



Nov. gen. 

 (Sharp; Trans. Eoy. Dub. Soc., 1886, p. 375.) 



Tarsi omnes quinque articulati, articulis quatuor primis sub- 

 asqualibus, articulo ultimo inflato, unguiculis magnis. 



The minute insect for which I propose the above generic name 

 can scarcely fail to be distinguished from all the known genera of 

 Aleocharini by the very peculiar structure of the tarsi, the terminal 

 joint being not only incrassate, but of peculiar shape, looking in fact 

 as if it were a bilobed joint, and the lobes w r ere folded along the 

 middle, and their underfaces applied to one another. The large 

 unguiculi are but little curved, and, as th'ey project considerably 

 beyond the joint itself, the foot has at first slight the appearance of 

 being like that of the Phytophaga. The basal joint of the maxil- 

 lary palpi is minute, the second elongate and slender, the third oval, 

 the fourth very minute ; the other parts of the mouth I cannot see 

 sufficiently for description. The antenna are inserted near the front 

 of the head, and there is no trace of any tubercle at their point of 

 insertion; they are eleven-jointed. The genes are strongly margined. 

 The side-piece of the thorax is large, almost triangular in form, and 

 projects downwards and inwards, so that in its form and position it 

 much resembles that of the Paderini. The front coxa are very ex- 

 serted, and of the ordinary Aleocharoid form. The middle coxae are 

 contiguous, the metasternurn rather elongate. 



