594 



placed that the odd interstices appear to be uniformly clothed 

 throughout their length, whilst on the even ones the scales 

 are so disposed that there is a glabrous space between each, 

 giving them a checkered appearance < 26 >. On some specimens 

 the front femora appear to be obscurely diluted with red. 

 Only seven specimens were obtained, although branches of 

 Casuarina, sp., were frequently beaten over the umbrella. 

 M. dubia, Lea, Ooldea. 



Epacticus whitei, n. sp. 



Reddieh-castaneous ; head, rostrum, prothorax, under- 

 surface, funicle, and club somewhat darker. Moderately 

 densely clothed with stout, white, depressed setae or scales, 

 mixed with more rounded ones at sides of prothorax and on 

 metasternum; elytra in addition with conspicuous, suberect 

 setae, forming a single row on each interstice. 



Rostrum about the length of prothorax, feebly curved ; 

 striate-punctate, punctures glabrous on apical half, each 

 with a white scale on basal half. Antennae thin, inserted 

 slightly closer to apex than to base of rostrum ; first joint 

 of funicle long; club rather short. Prothorax about as long 

 as wide, sides gently rounded, base very little wider than apex ; 

 with dense and (on removal of clothing) sharply denned 

 punctures. Elytra rather narrow, distinctly wider than 

 prothorax, parallel-sided to near apex; with regular rows of 

 large, partially concealed punctures. Length, 2£-2f mm. 



Hah. — South Australia: Frome Well, Leigh Creek. 

 Type, I. 7606. 



It is with some doubt that this species is referred to 

 Epacticus, as the club is not very elongate (it is, however, 

 not much shorter than in ruber, the type of the genus) and 

 the rostrum is almost straight. In all other respects it agrees 

 with the position assigned to the genus in Blackburn's table 

 of the subfamily ( 2? ) and with the original diagnosis ( 28 ) ; the 

 scales are not as coarse as on ruber, but more as on the species 

 commented upon as being probably nigrirostris ; from which 

 it differs in the 6traighter rostrum and elytra with a con- 

 spicuous row of semi-upright setae on each interstice. The 

 side pieces of the mesosternum and of the metasternum are 

 so densely covered with scales that the derm is entirely 

 concealed, but where the derm of the under-surface is not 

 concealed it appears to be almost black ; on the elytra the 



(26) This appeara-nce, however, is affected by a slight amount 

 of abrasion. 



(27) Ante, 1894, p. 149. 



(28) i.e., 1893, p. 305. 



