592 



OXYOPS VACILLANS, n. sp. 



Black; in parts obscurely reddish. Clothed with white 

 setae or scales, denser along middle from apex of prothorax 

 to apex of elytra, and on under-surface than elsewhere. 



Head coarsely punctured, with a deep impression in 

 middle, strongly constricted behind eyes (these very 

 prominent). Rostrum short, about as long as wide, apex 

 depressed and with small dense exposed punctures; elsewhere 

 with punctures partially concealed. Antennae rather stout; 

 second joint of funicle almost twice as long as first or third. 

 Prothorax evenly convex, about as long as basal width, sides 

 gently decreasing in width to apex; densely granulate- 

 punctate. Elytra much wider than prothorax; with rows of 

 large punctures, each of which lias a 6tout scale ; interstices 

 with numerous small granules, third with an elongated 

 elevation near base, another on each shoulder, and a smaller 

 one between. Legs short and stout. Length, 7J-8J mm. 



Hab. — South Australia (Blackburn's collection), Ooldea. 

 Type, I. 7959. 



At first glance this species appears quite an ordinary 

 Gonipterus, nearer jDerhaps to citriphagus than to any other; 

 but the sexes vary ; on one sex (probably the male) there is a 

 conspicuous post-humeral tubercle on each elytron, at the 

 usual position in Gonipterus ; but on the other sex there is no 

 tubercle there, and but a vaguely indicated swelling (less 

 pronounced than on many species of Oxyops), and as the 

 intercoxal process of the mesosternum is subacutely produced 

 in both 6exes the species has been referred to Oxyops rather 

 than to Gonipterus. On one specimen the antennae and tarsi 

 are the only parts that are reddish, but on a specimen taken 

 (in cop.) with it, the only parts that are black are parts of 

 the head, and the subbasal elevations of the elytra ; five other 

 specimens are intermediate. The tip of the rostrum is glabrous, 

 the clothing on the pronotum forms a distinct median line, 

 is very dense on the scutellum, and has a spotted appearance 

 on the suture; the individual scales are larger on parts of the 

 legs and the sides of the sterna than elsewhere. Some speci- 

 mens on capture are almost covered with an ochreous or 

 muddy-looking meal, but this disappears in alcohol. 



Oxyops crassirostris, Pasc. 



Two specimens from Ooldea are in perfect condition, and 

 at first glance appear very different to a co-type of this species. 

 They are thickly coated on the upper-surface with brickdust- 

 like meal, but this does not conceal a conspicuous patch of 

 whitish scales along the middle of the pronotum, the patch 



