233 



truncated. Antennae with fifth-tenth joints moderately wide 

 but not transverse. Spurs to hind tibiae of uneven lengths. 

 Length, 4-6J mm. 



Hab. — Queensland: Cairns district (F. P. Dodd). Type, 

 I. 5893. 



A beautifully-marked species, in some respects approach- 

 ing Tomoxia, and sent in abundance by Mr. Dodd. On some 

 specimens the head is conspicuously iridescent, and the 

 iridescence extends to the pronotum, although less noticeable 

 there; on some specimens also the under-parts have a bluish 

 iridescence. On the pronotum there are usually (fig. 127) six 

 spots forming an irregular transverse series, but some of 

 these are occasionally (fig. 128) conjoined with the golden 

 front margin, on each side of the base there is a large semi- 

 circular spot; on the elytra there is a spot common to both 

 immediately behind the scutellum, and on each three large 

 round equidistant ones; there is also a small latero-basal spot, 

 but it is quite concealed from above ; the mesosternum is 

 clothed with golden pubescence almost throughout, but the 

 largest isolated spot on each side of the under-surface is one 

 (fig. 130) common to the metasternum and abdomen. 



Var. 1. On seven specimens from Cairns (F. P. Dodd), 

 two from Mackay (R. E. Turner), one from Byron Bay (H. J. 

 Carter), and one from Lord Howe Island (in the Australian 

 Museum), the markings are more or less silvery, and on the 

 head the pubescence is greyish ; on the pronotum the basal 

 markings are reduced in size, the apex and sides near apex 

 have rather straggling, whitish pubescence, and the spots 

 forming the transverse series are reduced in number to four 

 (fig. 129) or two; on the elytra there is no latero-basal spot, 

 and on the under-surface there (fig. 131) is an uninterrupted 

 line of pubescence from the front of the mesosternum to the 

 back of the metasternum, on the latter appearing semicircular. 



The specimen in the Australian Museum from Lord 

 Howe Island belonging to this variety was labelled by Olliff 

 as M. australis, Boisd., but it can scarcely be that species, 

 whose elytral markings were described as "fasciis tribus 

 interruptis, tenuissimis, allidis" ; the spots on the elytra are 

 quite distinctly rounded spots and not interrupted fasciae; 

 quite certainly it is not even close to the species I have pre- 

 viously described as australis, and which (as it has also been 

 recognized by Macleay and Blackburn as such, and is a very 

 distinct species with distinctive markings) I think should be 

 regarded as that species until proved to the contrary. I also 

 took a specimen on the island with the markings disposed as 

 on the variety, but golden instead of silvery. 



