478 MR. J. S. BALT ON AUSTEALIAK PHYTOPHAGOUS BEETLES. 



Genus (Edioktchis, Latr. 



CEdiontchis Howittii. Ovata, convexa, nitida, subtus picea, 

 pectore abdomineque piceo-fulvis ; supra nigra, elytris metallico- 

 purpureis. Long. 2 lin. 



Sab. New South Wales, Sydney. 



Head short ; carina plane, its surface impressed with a faint 

 longitudinal groove ; clypeus abruptly inflexed, shortly semi- 

 lunate, its surface concave ; encarpse contiguous ; antennae mode- 

 rately robust, much less than half the length of the body. 

 Thorax nearly three times as broad as long; sides reflexed, con- 

 verging and slightly rounded from base to apex, the hinder angles 

 acute, the anterior curved slightly outwards and forming an 

 obtuse tooth ; disk smooth, impunctate. Elytra broader than the 

 thorax, very finely but not closely punctured ; interspaces smooth 

 and shining, faintly wrinkled below the base ; reflexed lateral 

 margin narrow, impressed with a single row of coarse punctures. 

 Hinder tibia short, its outer surface armed just before the apex 

 with a short tooth ; basal joint of hinder tarsus shorter than the 

 two following united, claw strongly inflated. 



Genus Sph^eophtma. 



Corpus rotundatum, valde convexum. Copw^ parvum, thoraci ad 

 oculos insertum ; oculis magnis, elongatis, intus leviter sinuatis ; 

 antennis proximo insertis, thorace paulo longioribus, filiformibus, 

 modice robustis ; artieulo basali elongate, paulo incrassato, leviter 

 curvato, secundo brevi, ovato ; encarpis subtrigonatis, contiguis ; 

 carina lineariformi. Thorax transversus. Scidellum parvum. 

 Elytra thorace multo latiora, punctato-striata, limbo inflexo dila- 

 tato, margine exteriore deorsum producto. Pedes breves ; coxis 

 anticis prosterno sequialtis ; femorihus posticis valde incrassatis ; 

 tibiis anticis quatuor apice muticis ; tihiis posticis crassis, paulo 

 recurvatis, apice in processum acutum prolongatis, dorso piano, 

 ante apieem spina valida subclaviformi, apice subacuta, armato ; 

 tarsis posticis tibiarum dorso, vix ante apieem, insertis, artieulo 

 basali CEsteris longiore ; unguiculis appendiculatis. Prosternum 

 planum, postice ad metasternum productum, acetaitilis anticis 

 integris. Mesosternum occultum. 



Splicer ophyma, which I have established on a remarkable insect 

 collected at Eockhampton by Mr. Simon, is nearly allied to 

 Argopistes, Motsch, : it may be known from that genus by the 

 punctate-striate elytra. 



