474 ON AUSTRALIAN ANTHICIDAE, 



description. King, however, added to the difficulty by oeeasionally referring 

 the same species, under different names, to different groups; be also sometimes 

 referred closely allied species to widely separated groups, but it is not always 

 easy to follow Laferte's divisions. Whilst many of the species are very variable 

 in colour and need close comparison to be certain of the range of variation, 

 several species strongly resemble each other and yet may be distinguished by 

 profound differences in sculpture. Most species are shining, but a few have 

 the whole or parts of the upper surface opaque or subopaque (in A. crassus 

 only in the male), and when it is certain that the opacity is natural, and not 

 due to age, grease, g-um, etc., the character is a very useful one. Most, if not all, 

 of the species of the A. hrevicolUs group! are extremely variable in their mark- 

 ings, and somewhat in size; they all have the head short, with large eyes, and 

 the i^rothorax short, with a narrow sub-basal impression, connected on each flank 

 with a deep groove; a few have characters by which the males only may be 

 identified with certainty, but most of them will be found difficult to deal with, 

 and specimens taken in cop. will be found very useful. Many of the group have 

 densely crowded punctures on the pronotum, and on some they are sparser, 

 usually larger and asperate; the differences may be used in roughly dividing both 

 males and females into two sections of the group, but are not sufficient to isolate 

 closely allied species. Some synonymy has already been noted in the group, and 

 as I am doubtful as to the range and forms of several species many specimens 

 of the group have not been dealt with. The sexes may usually be readily dis- 

 tinguished by the males having dilated front tarsi, hind tibiae thickened, curved 

 or notched, and apical segment of abdomen notched or impressed. On many of 

 the Australian species the intercoxal process of abdomen is acutely triangular, 

 but on some of them the tip is feebly or even moderately rounded. 



Anthicus strictds Er. 



Syn. — A. bellus King, A. bembidioides Laf., A. simulator Lea. 



A small, widely distributed species, with elytral spots varying in size and 

 intensity, head and prothorax varying in colour, and punctures of prothorax 

 and elytra more sharply defined on some specimens than on others; A. bem- 

 bidioides has already been referred to the species, and I have now to refer A. 

 bellus and A. simulator to it. On some specimens the postmedian spots are ex- 

 tremely faint and small, being scarcely paler than the surrounding parts, and 

 clearly connecting, the species with the following variety. 

 Var. PLAvoHUMEEALis^ n. var. 



On numerous specimens from South and Western Australia the humeral 

 spots ai-e flavous and sharply defined, and are the only spots on the elytra. The 

 head varies from the same shade of red as the prothorax to almost black. 



Anthicus crasstpes Laf. 



Two males from Cairns, that appear to belong to this species have the elytra 

 of a dingy red, with three large black spots (two median and one apical), and 

 the base slightly infuscated; the hind tibiae are wider than usual, with the notch 

 deeper and shorter, and its beginning and end marked by dentiform processes, 

 although these are quite concealed from some directions. 



Anthicus rarus King. 



Syn. — A. australis Champ, (not King), A. glabriceps Lea, A. Krejfti Macl., 

 A. propinquus Macl., A. piMchrior Lea. 



