320 



BB, CC, DD, E (the armature is small and traceable with 

 difficulty on most specimens), F, G (on unbroken specimens 

 the mesosternum appears to be hidden, but on breaking one, 

 a narrow flange-like portion on each side that at first appears 

 to be part of the intercoxal process of the metasternum is 

 really seen to belong to the mesosternum ; this is also the case 

 with Sphaerophyma simoni), H, I, J ; this brings us to Sutrea 

 and Phyllotreta, to the species of which genera it is palpably 

 widely different. I believe its correct position to be close to 

 Sphaerophyma, and that the position of that genus in the 

 table is due to faulty observation of its front coxal cavities 

 and mesosternum. The species described below is hemi- 

 sphaerieal and in general appearance is strikingly close to 

 Orcus (in my private collection I had two unset specimens 

 standing for years as belonging to Orcus), but, of course, with 

 the under-parts visible its subfamily is at once evident. It 

 is one of the finest and most distinct species of the subfamily. 



Halticorcus platycerii, n. sp. 



Bright metallic-blue (or green) ; head blackish with a 

 flavous spot on forehead, elytra with four flavous spots, legs 

 black or blackish, coxae, claw joint, and under-surface 

 flavous, antennae with the apical and five basal joints 

 flavous, the others black. 



Head with very minute punctures ; distance between 

 antennae scarcely more than the encircling edges of their 

 sockets. Antennae extending to abdomen, first joint about as 

 long as the four following combined, second stouter but scarcely 

 longer than third, fourth-sixth subequal, seventh moderately 

 transverse, eighth-tenth more strongly so, eleventh distinctly 

 longer than tenth, its apex subcorneal. Prothorax more than 

 thrice the width of the median length, which is considerably 

 more than that of the sides, with a shallow depression adjacent 

 to margin; with sparse and minute punctures. Elytra with 

 strongly rounded sides and shoulders, widest at about basal 

 third, with very small punctures. Hind femora fully twice 

 the width of the middle pair. Length, 3J-3J mm. 



Hob. — Queensland; New South Wales: Sydney, eating 

 stag-horn ferns, Platycerium grande (W. W. Froggatt). 

 Type, I. 7621. 



The scutellum is pale, but not so pale as the elytral spots; 

 of these the first on each elytron is round and basal, distinctly 

 nearer the suture than side, the other is median and trans- 

 verse, bilobed (sometimes acutely so) in front and oblique 

 behind. The elytral punctures are very small, but in some 

 lights and from certain directions they appear to be in feeble 

 rows; there is, however, a fairly distinct row near each margin. 



