Coleoptera.] SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. lOl 



Group SILPHIDAE. 

 Choleva, Latreille. 



Body oblong or oval, clothed with fine silky pubescence. Mentum transversely 

 quadrate, a little narrowed in front. Ligula as broad as the mentum at its base, 

 widely and strongly emarginate in front. Internal lobe of the maxillae with a horny 

 terminal hook. Maxillary folfi notably larger than the labial, their 3rd joint ob- 

 conical, the 4th much more slender, conical, and acuminate ; the 3rd of the labial 

 a little longer than the 2nd. Mandibles short, with a molar tooth at the base, arched, 

 acute, and unidentate at the extremity. Labrum short, rounded, and slightly sinuate 

 medially in front. Eyes almost rotundate, moderately prominent. Head deflexed, 

 obtuse in front. Antennae slender, as long as head and thorax, their basal 6 articula- 

 tions of variable length, subcylindrical, the 8th joint smaller than the contiguous 

 ones, the last 5 forming a rather variable club. Thorax subquadrate, as wide as 

 elytra at the base. Elytra oblong or oval, convex. Legs long and slender. Anterior 

 and middle coxae very prominent, the former not contiguous. Tibiae very rarely 

 dilated at the extremity, terminated with 2 spines. Tarsi with brushlike soles, the 

 basal 4 joints of the anterior in the males, especially the first 2, and sometimes the 

 Ist of the intermediate, dilated. Mesosternum often carina te. 



Syn. Catops, Paykull. 



Catops avivorus, sp. nov. 



Ovate-oblong, moderately convex, covered with slender decumbent yellowish 

 or ashy hairs, subopaque, rufo-fuscous or castaneous ; legs, antennae, and palpi 

 rufescent ; tarsi fulvescent. 



Head trigonal in front, much narrowed behind, finely yet quite perceptibly 

 and closely punctate, its pubescence yellow. Thorax strongly transverse, apex 

 moderately deeply and widely incurved, with rounded angles, its sides rounded and 

 more narrowed in front than behind, base feebly and widely incurved and overlapping 

 the elytra, posterior angles almost rectangular, across the middle it is slightly wider 

 than the elytra ; its whole surface very minutely sculptured, the punctuation fine 

 and rather close, but somewhat remote in front at the middle. Elytra as broad 

 as thorax at the base, very gradually narrowed posteriorly, apices individually 

 rounded so as to be slightly dehiscent at the suture and leaving the obconical pygi- 

 diuni uncovered ; on each elytron there is a moderately well-marked sutural stria ; 

 their surface is closely, finely, and rugosely punctured. 



Underside similar to upper surface in colour and clothing. The sculpture of the 

 6 ventral segments very fine and close. Coxae contiguous, none distinctly separated, 

 the anterior very prominent. Mesosternum finely but distinctly and closely sculp- 

 tured, not medially carinate. 



Antennae inserted below the lateral margins of the forehead, and therefore 

 at some distance from the eyes ; they are finely pubescent ; basal articulation 

 elongate-oblong, with slightly rounded angles ; joints 2-5 about equal, each almost 

 as long as the 1st and becoming slightly thicker than the 2nd ; 7th rather shorter 

 and broader than 6th ; 8th obviously smaller than the contiguous ones ; 9th and 

 10th quadrate, shorter and slightly broader than 7th ; the terminal ovate. Femora 

 simple. Anterior tibiae slightly but quite definitely notched or emarginate under- 



