432 Mr. G. J. Arrow on neto 



cJ. Capite aut semicirculari aut paulo aiit valde producto, apice 

 minute emarginato ; prothorace antice valde retuso, dorso medio 

 late prominente, antice parum impresso, fossa lateral! sat pro- 

 funda, extus carinata, carina antice plus minusve acute prodncta. 



$ , Capite semicirculari ; prothorace sequaliter conveso, inermi. 



Long. 4-5-6 mm. 



Hah. Nilgiri Hills (Barwood Estate). 



Very smooth and shining, slightly coppery, with the 

 elytra black and marked with a more or less distinct reddish 

 patch on each shoulder. The form is broadly oval, rather 

 flat, and the legs are short. The head is very smooth, 

 without liorns, carinte, or visible sutures, and the margin of 

 the clypeus is finely and closely punctured and reflexed. 

 The prothorax is finely punctured, with the sides regularly 

 curved, the posterior angles very obtuse and the base gently 

 curved. The scutellum is invisible. The elytra are very 

 finely punctate-striate, with the interstices flat and impunctate. 

 The pygidiura is convex and very finely punctured, and the 

 underside smooth with the sides of the metasternum rather 

 closely punctured. The front tibiae are armed with four 

 strong teeth and very finely serrated above these. In the 

 four posterior tarsi the first joint is equal in length to the three 

 succeeding joints, but is not very much flattened. 



^ . The head is produced in front, rather broad at the 

 spex, and very feebly bilobed. The prothorax has a broad 

 dorsal elevation shallowly impressed in front, and on each 

 side a longitudinal carina more or less acutely produced in 

 front, with a deep lateral cavity on each side between the 

 latter and the dorsal hump. 



$ . The head is semicircular and the prothorax quite 

 simple. 



Ihere is another male form in which the head is like that 

 of the female, although the thoracic armature may be well- 

 developed. 



This little beetle is entirely peculiar both in habits and 

 appearance. It was found in some numbers by Mr. H. L. 

 Andrewes in a nest of the liarvesting ant, Phidologiton 

 di'vtrsns, in a decaying Ficus trunk. The specimens were 

 taken frcm the debris accumulated near the entrance to the 

 nest, and Mr. Andrewes believes the beetle to breed in the 

 nest, which is probably the case. That its manner of life is 

 quite abnormal is sufficiently evidenced by its appearance, 

 \\ hich is entirely imlike that of the typical Onthophagus. The 

 lound depressed form, very shining surface, and short legs 

 produce, in the female at least, a strong suggestion of a 

 Histerid, but stiucturally it does not difier in any important 

 particular from the present genus. 



