some Australian Curciilioiiidie. lO.T 



The pcctiliar clolhiuf; and entire absence of elevated j)art3 

 on the elytra arc at variance with Melanterius\ but many 

 species of Dietliusa have similar interstices, so 1 have referred 

 it to the latter n;enns. 'llie second scj^inent of abdomen is, 

 if anytliin;j:, a trille lonj^cr than the thinl and fourth com- 

 bined, but only al)out half the length of the first. Althoujjh 

 the white scales are numerous on the upper surface, they are 

 nowhere condensed into distinct s])ots. The type is probably 

 a male. 



Diethusa tenuirostris, sp. n. 



S. Blackish brown; antenna, legs, and tip of rostrum 

 reddish. Densely clothed with sooty-brown scales, with 

 numerous spots or patches of whitish scales ; btcoming 

 almost uiiilorm on under surface and legs. 



Rustrum long, thin, :ind parallel-sided to insertion of 

 antenniB, thence narrowed to a|)eK ; with coarse concealed 

 punctures behind antennre, smaller and cleaily defined in 

 front of same. Scape inserted two-fifths from apex of 

 rostnim, somewhat shorter than funicle ; first joint of 

 funicic slightly longer than seconil, Prutliorax moderately 

 transverse : with dense, normally conceilcd punctures. 

 Elytra subcordate, base moderately trisinuate, basal half 

 parallel-sided ; with suboblong punctures^ in narrow deep 

 stria; ; interstices wider, nowhere ridged, with dense and 

 rather coarse, but normally quite concealed, punctures. 

 Basal segment of abdomen feebly concave in middle ; apical 

 segment widely impressed. Femora rather stout, edentate. 



Length 2 mm. 



$ . Differs in having the rostrum longer and much thinner, 

 clothed only at extreme base, almost impunetate, almost 

 entirely red, and antennte inserted quite close to its base. 

 Abdomen with basal and apical segments convex, and femora 

 somewhat thinner. 



Hab. New South Wales : Sydney. 



The rostrum is conspicuously diU'erent sexually, much as 

 in many species of Storeus. The clothing, although of 

 different shades of colour, has the peculiar soft ap[)earanee 

 of that of mollis, but that species has conspicuously dentate 

 dentate femora. In the present species the hind femora 

 appear to have a feeble ridge that causes them to appear 

 feebly dentate from eertdn directions, but it is not a real 

 tooth. From inerviis it differs in its much smaller size and 

 very different clothing, rostrum of the female thinner, but 

 not subulate, ifce. 



