613 



Belus orthodoxus, n. sp. 



Piceous-brown ; rostrum (and sometimes the elytra and 

 appendages) paler. Upper-surface with sparse stramineous 

 pubescence except for a conspicuous line on suture, under- 

 surface densely but somewhat irregularly clothed. 



Head with crowded and fairly large punctures between 

 eyes, becoming smaller about base. Rostrum moderately long, 

 thin, and lightly curved ; about base with rather coarse but 

 partially-concealed punctures, elsewhere shining and with 

 small but distinct punctures. Antennae moderately long, first 

 joint about as long as second and third combined, third 

 distinctly longer than fourth and second, these equal in 

 length, but second slightly stouter than fourth, eleventh 

 almost twice the length of tenth. Prothorax lightly trans- 

 verse, sides moderately rounded, base distinctly wider than 

 apex, median line shallow but well-defined; densely granulate- 

 punctate. Elytra rather thin, slightly wider than prothorax, 

 parallel-sided to near apex, which is moderately produced, 

 suture not distinctly elevated at base; with dense punctures, 

 about base with granules. Femora edentate, front ones stout, 

 hind ones just passing basal segment of abdomen; basal joint 

 of tarsi distinctly shorter than second and third combined. 

 Length, 11-13 mm. 



Hab. — South Australia: Mount Lofty (S. H. Curnow). 

 Type, I. 7887. 



Structurally close to vetustus and brevipe's, but very 

 differently clothed, and otherwise different, although the 

 suture is conspicuously clothed throughout the pubescence is 

 not confined to it, as on suturalis and its allies, but there are 

 pale hairs scattered about elsewhere and especially about the 

 base. In my table some specimens would be associated with 

 brevipes, but others have the elytra no paler than the 

 prothorax and these would be referred to M, e, but they are 

 considerably larger and otherwise different to inconstans. On 

 some specimens, but not on others, the elytra distinctly pass 

 the abdomen for more than the length of the apical segment, 

 but the variations appear to be due to irregular contraction. 

 The eyes are moderately ringed, but the rest of the upper parts 

 of the head are sparsely clothed, there is a fairly distinct 

 median line of clothing on the pronotum, on the elytra the 

 suture is conspicuously clothed throughout, but under a lens 

 the pubescence has a somewhat maculate appearance, especially 

 towards the base, about which there are a few small scattered 

 spots, on the rest of the elytra the derm is glabrous or with 

 a few hairs scattered singly ; on the under-surface there is a 

 dense stripe on each side from beneath the eve to tip of 



