118 



B. 11. On some of these species the punctures in the striae 

 are fairly distinct at and below the summit of the apical slope, 

 but the striae themselves (except the sutural and marginal 

 ones) are feebly or not at all impressed. 



D. To make quite sure of this the prothorax nmst be 

 viewed from below. 



DD. To see the armature clearly it is sometimes necessary 

 to examine the under-surface of the prothorax from behind, 

 as the projections are often small, and if the slight constric- 

 tions that they are really due to are clogged with dust or 

 grease the projections themselves are scarcely visible. On 

 many species, however, they are quite distinct from above. 



E. The apex also is sometimes obscurely diluted with red, 

 but never has conspicuous markings. 



EE. A variety of clypeata has some infuscate basal spots. 

 EE. gg. On two specimens of alcyone the prothoracic 

 punctures are more distinct than on the Darwin specimens. 



F. One specimen of mactdi colli s has the prothorax 

 immaculate, but its elytral blotch is as on typical ones. But 

 hreviUneaia and Umbatipennis vary in each other's direction 

 so much that it is not always easy to decide as to the position 

 of a specimen with immaculate prothorax. 



T. Referring to the striae only. On some specimens of 

 didyma the punctures are fairly distinct in all the rows. 



Rhyparida didyma. Fab. 



var. vittata, Blanch. 



var. fulvoplagiata, Jac. 



var. mediopicta^ Blackb. 



PI. v., figs. 1-14; pi. vii., fig. 96; pi. viii., figs. 102, 103, 167, 



and 171. 



This is an abundant, widely-distributed, and extremely- 

 variable species. The commonest (and typical) form (fig. 1) 

 in Queensland (but it extends to the North-west as well) has 

 three disconnected spots along the middle of each elytron, the 

 first subbasal and composed, as it were, of three arms (of 

 which the outer one is sometimes almost disconnected), the 

 second median and briefly transverse, the third elongate and 

 subapical. On this form the suture may be partly or entirely 

 black, or but vaguely infuscated posteriorly ; the margins are 

 sometimes infuscated towards the apex, and occasionally have 

 a median spot. 



An almost equally abundant form (fig. 2) has the median 

 and apical spots conjoined. 



A very common form in North-west Australia (but extend- 

 ing to Queensland) has each elytron with an irregular vitta. 



