16 



less conspicuously paler than the others (although not black), the subapical 

 segment not notched, and the elytra of a brighter blue. 



Paederus wilsoni, n. sp. Fig. 10. 



cT . Black ; elytra blue or purplish-blue, mandibles and prothorax red, 

 antennae (four or five median joints infuscated), palpi, and most of the legs 

 fiavous. Upper-surface with long, straggling, black hairs. 



Head moderately large ; with fairly large but sparse punctures. Mandibles 

 with an acutely bicuspidate tooth about middle. Antennae long, none of the joints 

 transverse, first and third of equal length, and each about twice the length of 

 second. Prothorax large, strongly convex, sides strongly rounded and at widest 

 slightly wider than head ; with a few scattered punctures. Elytra small, slightly 

 shorter than prothorax and distinctly narrower ; with large irregularly-distributed 

 punctures. Abdomen large ; with a few distinct punctures ; under-surf ace of 

 subapical segment with a rather narrow parallel-sided notch almost to base. 

 Legs rather long and thin, front femora stout. Length, 7-9 mm. 



9 . Dififers in having abdomen slightly wider posteriorly, suba^pical seg- 

 ment not notched, and legs and antennae somewhat shorter. 



Hab. — Queensland: Blackall Range in October (F. E. Wilson), Mapleton 

 in November (H. Hacker). Type, L 12859. 



On several males the tibiae and tarsi are entirely pale, but not of a clear 

 tlavous, as are the bases of the femora; but on most of them the tibiae, at 

 least, are infuscated about the base. The elytral punctures are rather large 

 and sparse, and so impressed that the space immediately behind most of them 

 appears to be granulate. It is an apterous species, nearer to P. sparsiis than 

 any other wingless one, but the elytra are subgranulate, abdomen with more 

 conspicuous margins, and antennae with only the middle dark; the antennae 

 are coloured as on some specimens of the winged P. koebelei. From the pre- 

 ceding species it differs in having the elytra smaller, abdomen entirely polished 

 black, and maxillary palpi entirely pale. 



DiBELONETES, Sahib., Cat., p. 212. 



Sharp f^^*' gives particulars as to how this genus may be distinguished from 

 Suniits (equal Astcmis), but it is doubtful if the Australian species now standing 

 in it can be maintained as distinct from that genus. 

 ANTiPODUM, Bernh., Arkiv for Zool., mjoebergi, Bernh., I.e., p. 10. O., 



xiii. (No. 8). p. 11. Q. S.A. 



BREVicoLLis, Lea (Siinhis). O., palaeotropicus, Bernh. Q., N.T., 

 N.S.W. ^ Melville Island (? Introduced). 



queenslandicits, Bernh., I.e., p. 11. 



DiBELONETES BREVICOLLIS, Lea. 



D. queoisIcDidieits, Bernh. 



A very variable species, occurring from Cairns in Queensland, to Dalmorton 

 in New South W'ales. 



Form 1. Pale reddish-flavous ; elytra, antennae, palpi, and legs still paler. 



Form 2. Darker than preceding form ; head with one, prothorax with 

 two vague inf uscations ; elytra with more or less numerous infuscated spots, 

 sometimes sharply defined but not conjoined; upper-surface of abdomen in- 

 fuscated on each segment near margin. The majority of specimens belong to 

 this form ; on most of them the outer apical angles of the elytra, and a spot 

 on each side of the suture, appear conspicuously fiavous from some directions, 



(i«) Sharp, Biol. Centr. Amer., i. (Part 2), 1886, p. 601. 



