Bates. — On the Geodephagous Coleoptera of New Zealand, 313 



Subfamily Actenonychin^e. 



Actenonyx hemhidio'ides, White, I. c. p. 2 (1846). 

 Sphallax peryphoides, Bates, Ent. Monthly Mag. iv.*p. 56 (1867). 

 Christchurch {E. W. Fereday, Esq.). 



White's description omits all the essential characters of this curious 

 Carabid, and is so vague that there are no means of identifying it without 

 reference to the type. I have seen a specimen so named in the British 

 Museum, which quite asfrees with Sphallax perypho'ides. The extraordinary 

 form of the ligula, and other characters, necessitate the formation of a new 

 subfamily for the insect, which will range near the Odacanthince. 



Subfamily Scopodin^. 

 Scopodes fossulatus. 



Dromlus (I) fossulatus, Blanch. Voy. P6le Sud, iv. p,9, t.iii. f. 16. 

 Periblepiisa elaphroides, Eedtenb. Beise No vara, Col. p. 21, t.i. f.9. 



Blanchard's description accords exceedingly well with a species apparently 

 common at Auckland, with the exception that no mention is made of the 

 prominent eyes j this omission, however, is supplied to some extent by 

 his figure. 



Auckland. Both from Mr. H. Edwards and Mr. Lawson. 



A well-preserved specimen, rather larger than usual, agrees exactly with 

 Bedtenbacher's description. 



Scopodes elaphroides. 



Helceotrechus elaphroides, White, I. c. p. 5, t.i. f.5. 



Larger than the preceding (2| lines), and difiering besides in being " deep 

 black," S. fossulatus being silky seneous j the legs are " yellow, with middle 

 of femora and the tips with a brownish band." 



Scopodes aferrimuSf n. sp. 



S. magis elongatus, gracilior, toto insecto sericeo-niger ; thorace angustiore, 

 ab angulo anteriore usque basin recte angustato, supra subtiliter strigoso sed 

 nitido ; elytris striis latis paulo undulatis, impunctatis, foveis tribus magnis 

 prope suturam alterisque irregularibus versus apicem. Long. 2 — 2 J lin. 



Distinguished from S. fossulatus and from all the Australian species 

 known to me (nine in number) by the form of the thorax — rather narrow, 

 with slightly prominent antero-lateral angles, and without brace of posterior 

 angle, the lateral margin being rounded off to the base j the surface is rather 

 faintly transversely strigose and shining. 



Two examples from Mr. H. Edwards (Auckland), and one from Christ- 

 church (Mr. Fereday). 



Pl 



