484 Mr. D. Sharp on the Elateridse of New Zealand. 



bus divergentibus ; elytria fortiter profundeque seriato-punctatis, 

 vix striatis, opacis. Long. 5^ -6 m. m. 



This species, though closely allied to P. guttatus and P. 

 pict'icornisj may be distinguished by a glance at the underside 

 of the thorax, which is pale along the middle, with the flanks 

 infuscate ; it is considerably duller above, the elytra are palish 

 red at the base, with the apical half darker reddish and a pale 

 yellow spot placed in this darker part ; these markings on the 

 elytra vary considerably in their definiteness. 



Two individuals have been sent me from Tairua by Captain 

 Broun ; and I have seen others in Messrs. Pascoe's and Wake- 

 field's collections from the same source. 



Group 19. — These species have the following characters : — 

 Forehead greatly produced between the antenna3, the produced 

 portion with a slightly thickened lateral edge, these edges to- 

 wards their anterior part divergent, so as to form a portion of an 

 under margin to the large and deep antennal spaces ; the 

 labrum is small, but quite visible between the divergent pro- 

 cesses at the termination of the forehead. The antennae are 

 slender and but little serrate ; chin-piece of thorax very short, 

 truncate in front, separated by a short wide notch from the front 

 angles of the prosternum. Thorax elongate and subcylindric, 

 its process thick and straight ; mesosternal cavity rather 

 broadest at its hind part, with thin, sharp edges, which are 

 directed downwards. Middle coxje moderately or only slightly 

 separated. Coxal lamina slightly longer outside than in- 

 wardly. Tarsi with 3rd and 4th joints with membranous 

 lobes. 



Though the structural characters of these species are on the 

 whole very similar to those of Group 18 {Geratms), yet the 

 laterally dilated front of the forehead points out the present 

 group as an interesting connecting link between them and 

 the Eucnemides. The peculiar narrow form and elongate 

 cylindric thorax of the species give them a facies by which 

 they may be readily recognized. 



These interesting insects have an undescribed ally in 

 Chili, which, Mr. Janson informed me, was considered by 

 Candfeze not to be a member of the Elaterid^. But I think 

 there is no doubt that these New-Zealand species may be 

 placed in the Elateridaa ; they offer, however, an important 

 obstacle to the separation of the Throscid^e and Eucnemidse 

 from the Elateridse as distinct families. The structure of 

 their head is, in fact, such that by a little modification it might 

 be transformed into the head of a Eucnemid or a Throscid. 



