322 The Insect Fauna of Van Diemen^s Lanct. 



MacLeay Fisch. (*) and one new, analagons species. 



The Melitojohila must be rare in Van Diemen^s Land, as 

 compared with the Continent ; our collection does not 

 contain a single species. 



The IiiicaniclcB present much that is remarkable. 



Two species oi Lamiydma appear in Van Diemen's Land, L. 

 fulgida'Qo\s>^. 2XiA a new one (f) : Borcits presents i?.C(:mcr- 



(*) The same, t. 25, f. 2. — JIacrothops prceustus Dej. Boisd. Faun, de I'Ocean, 210-1. 

 (f) In Guerin's Revue, Zool., 1841, p. 50, Mr. Reiche declares all the species of 

 Lamprima hitherto knovsTi, particularly those arranged by MacLeay, to be merely 

 varieties of one and the same species, whose general and specific characteristic is the 

 three-cornered shape of the one pomt on the front of the leg, (in the male.) I caimot 

 decide how far this ophiionrespectingMacLeay's species is correct, for Iknowthem but 

 sliglitly ; but after a careful examinatioiaofanumberof specimens in our own collection, 

 I have come to the conclusion, not only that several species are there distuiguishable, 

 but also that all these species are diiferent to L. cenea, (Lethr. sen. F.) so carefully 

 described by Schreiber : they diifer ui the proportions of the body, in. color, — which is 

 not nearly so varied, as it is supposed to be by the French (on Lesson's Authority, s_ 

 Boisd. Faun, de I'Ocean, p. 231)— in the markings, especially those on thewmg-cases 

 of the female, and the direction of the projection of the Mesosternum, in the following 

 manner : 



One pomt on the front of the leg of the male axe- shaped. 

 i. LatreiUei. Stemi mucrone acute prominente, viridis, nitida, capite rufo-aureo. 

 Mas. — Thorace sparsim subtUiter punctato. 

 Fern— Thovace fortiter crebreque punctato.elytris fortius crebrius-que prmctulatis, 



MacLeay. Hor. Ent. i, 101-2. — Lanq^ cenea Boisd. Faun, de I'Ocean, 228-1. — Lucan 

 ceneus Donov. Ins of N. HoU. fig uifer. 



The Mandibles of the male longer than m 3 and 4 : the edge of the tip, particularly in 

 the large specimens, runmed : the wing-cases, as compared with the neck-plate shorter 

 than in the other species. Donovan has figured tliis species unmistakeably, and Mac 

 Leay follows his authority. 



(t) L splendens n. sp. 



Stemi mucrone acute prominente, viridis.capite.thorace elytrisque supra purpureo-aui'eis. 



Fern. — Nitidissima, thorace crebre fortiterque punctato, elytris parce subtiUterque 

 pimctulatis . 



Similar to the female of the former species, excepting in colour, which is of a reddish 

 golden hue on the back of the neck-plate, and of a deep copper gold on the wing-cases ;, 

 these are rather longer than those of L. LatreiUei, simple, and covered with minute 

 punctures scarcely visible to the naked eye. The male is not yet known. 



(?) L.fulgida. 



stemi mucrone recte truncato, vnidi-cuprea, thorace obsolete canaliculate. 



Mas. — Viridi-auratus, subnitidus, thorace crebrius, subtiliusque punctulato. 



J^em — Viridi-cuprea, nitida, tibiis, tarsisque chalybeis, thorace creberrime fortiter 

 punctato, elytris fortius crebriusque punctulatis. 



Boisd Faun de I'Ocean, 231-2.— iiw^ajiMS cerews var. Don. Ins. of N. Holland, (fig. 

 super.) — Lntcan ceneus var. Schreib. Transact. Limi. See, vii., p. 117, t. 19, f. 9-14— 

 i. aurata MacLeay Hor. Ent. I., lOO-l. 



