On the Geodepkagous Coleoptera of New Zealand. 233 



XXXIII. — On the Geodephafjous Coleoptera of New Zealand. 

 By H. W. Bates, F.L.S. 



It has been stated that the insect-fauna of New Zealand is 

 extremely poor, and that the Coleoptera at least show great 

 affinity with those of north temperate regions. With regard 

 to the former statement, although some weight ought to be 

 attached to the unanimous complaint of collectors of the general 

 scarcity of insects, it is premature to arrive at a definite conclu- 

 sion so long as the islands have not been thoroughly worked. 

 At present we know scarcely any thing of the productions of 

 the central and western portions of the Northern Island, or of 

 the mountainous districts of the Canterbury Province in the 

 Southern. Although insular and, especially, oceanic faunas 

 are known to be poor, it remains to be seen whether the large 

 area, varied surface, and lofty mountain-ranges of New Zea- 

 land have not operated to check the process of extinction 

 without repopulation which has impoverished other insular 

 areas. At present the total number of species of Geodephagous 

 Coleoptera known from the islands is 89 ; the British Isles 

 have 311, and Japan 244. 



The belief that the New-Zealand Coleopterous fauna is 

 related to that of the north temperate zone is certainly ill- 

 founded ; but it Avas excusable so long as describers, without 

 attempting to study the characters of the new species before 

 them, referred them recklessly to familiar northern genera, 

 such as (to cite cases from the present group) Dromius, Cy- 

 mindis^ Calathus^ Lehia, Harpalus^ &c., the species so referred 

 having no near affinity whatever to those genera, but belonging 

 to purely Australian or Antarctic forms. Our material, as 

 far as it goes, shows a great specialization of the New-Zealand 

 fauna. Thus, out of the total number of 37 New-Zealand 

 genera of Geodephaga, no fewer than 14 are peculiar to the 

 islands ; of the remainder, 8 are Australian and 2 are Chilian : 

 7 genera only are common to New Zealand and the north tem- 

 perate zone ; and these are genera of universal distribution. 

 There remain 6 genera, described as Argutor^ Feronia, &c,, 

 which I have not yet seen, and theretpre class as doubtful. 



Many of the species described or enumerated in the following 

 paper have been communicated by Messrs. Wakefield and 

 Fereday, of Christchurch, and Mr. Lawson, of Auckland; 

 and it is at the desire of these gentlemen and other local natu- 

 ralists, who are labouring to gather together the scattered 

 materials of the New-Zealand fauna, that I have undertaken 

 this task. 



