253 



Hab. — Northern Territory: Darwin (G. F. Hill). Type 

 (unique), I. 7608. 



The hind tarsi are missing from the type, but the species 

 is so extremely distinct that it has been described. 



RHIPIDOPHORIDAE. 



Rhipidius mollipes, n. sp. 



d . Of a rather dingy flavous; head blackish, elytra 

 and abdomen more or less deeply infuscated. Rather densely 

 clothed with short greyish pubescence, on upper-surface sub- 

 erect. 



Head small, basal portion subtriangular and densely 

 punctate. Eyes large, coarsely faceted, almost meeting behind 

 antennae and close together in front of them. Antennae with 

 first joint stout and subtriangular, second very short and 

 strongly transverse, the sides acute, third as wide as second, 

 of irregular shape, the apex concave, fourth-tenth very short, 

 each with a very long ramus, eleventh as long as rami. Pro- 

 thorax evenly convex, at base twice as wide as the median 

 length, sides obliquely strongly narrowed to apex, which is 

 truncate ; with dense punctures. Elytra short, conspicuously 

 separated at their bases, rather evenly narrowed to apex, 

 which is far from apex of abdomen, each with a wide obtuse 

 ridge from shoulder to beyond the middle ; punctures much 

 as on prothorax. Abdomen wide and flat. Legs flat. Length, 

 3J mm. 



Hab. — Queensland: Kuranda (F. P. Dodd). Type, I. 

 5921. 



It is with considerable hesitation that this species is 

 referred to Rhipidius. Both Gerstacker ' and Lacordaire 

 describe the claws of the typical species as simple ; I have not 

 been able to see the claws of the present species clearly, as 

 they are obscured by hairs, and it is difficult to get them in a 

 satisfactory position for examination under a compound 

 power without breaking up the type. Each claw appears to 

 be acutely bifid at apex, and with serrations towards the base, 

 but quite possibly the supposed serrations are really setae ; 

 the claws, however, are certainly not simple. Blackburn has 

 described another species from Australia (the type and only 

 known specimen of which is in the British Museum) with 

 claws that are not simple. But the curious antennae, large 

 eyes almost meeting both in front and behind the antennae, ( 27 > 

 large labial and apparent absence of maxillary palpi, and 



(27) Gerstacker's figure of the head of pectinicornis will give 

 a good idea of that of the present species. 



