137 



:species of Chalcophora in which this character is so well marked) ; 

 the elytra are very much less narrowed off at the apex, and their 

 .costa? are a little differently arranged, that next the suture being 

 parallel to the suture (in superba the same costa is very strongly 

 curved a little before the apex), and that nearest the lateral 

 margin being continued quite to the apex ; the costse., moreover, 

 are subobsolete near the base. On the undersurface the sculpture 

 is very much coarser, the vermiculate smooth elevations occupying 

 a much larger proportion of the area as compared with the de- 

 pressed closely punctured spaces ; the prosternum is concave longi- 

 tudinally between the coxa^ (in superba it is convex), and the basal 

 ventral segment (the specimens before me seem to be of the same 

 sex, probably female), is much more narrowly concave down the 

 middle, the apical ventral segment being narrowly sinuate-trun- 

 cate at the apex (it is not much different in same sex of superba, 

 but in the unique example before me is slightly chipped, and 

 therefore I cannot be quite certain). The concavity of the pro- 

 sternum will, I think, distinguish this species from all its near 

 allies {i.e., gigas, Hope, Waterhousei, Masters, and superba, 

 Saund.); its colour also is completely distinctive, and from 

 Waterhousei it may be known by its prothorax and elytra non- 

 pubescent. 



N. Queensland ; in the collection of C. French, Esq. 



STIGMODERA. 



.S'. tibialis, Waterh. Mr. Tepper, of the S. Australian Museum, 

 has lately shown me a very fine series of this insect, which has 

 lately been placed in the Museum by Mr. C. F. Johnson, M.P. 

 They were taken in W. Australia (near York), where, I do not 

 think, there has been any record of the species occurring. 

 S. tibialis is evidently extremely variable, as I ffnd the elytra of 

 some specimens entirely yellowish red, of others entirely dark 

 red, and of others dark red, with two or more more or less defined 

 paler fasciae. In some examples the ventral segments ^ are more 

 or less spotted ^\\t\\ yellowish. Among all these \-arieties I do 

 not find any approximation to S. Stevensi, Gehin, in respect of 

 the colouring of the sides of the prothorax, but the acuteness of 

 the angulation on the intermediate tibifi^ (which is said to be a 

 distinguishing character) is very variable in degree, and ^ I am 

 afraid an examination of the specimens before me suggests inevit- 

 able doubt as to the validity of Mr. Waterhouse's species. 

 >S'. princeps, sp. nov. Femina. Sat late oblonga, minus convexa ; 

 nigra, vix ?enea, prothorace plus minus piceo-rufescenti, 

 elytrorum lateribus (parte antica excepta) anguste (et apice 

 late) sanguineo-marginatis ; capite vix conca\'o, minus for- 

 titer sat crebre (ut S. jMrricoUis) punctulato ; prothorace 



