414 



Head with sparse and small punctures and a feeble* 

 median line; clypeus with small but more numerous punc- 

 tures than elsewhere, suture somewhat curved, and a vague 

 depression extending from each end to middle of an eye. 

 Antennae moderately long and thin. Prothorax about thrice 

 as wide as the median length, base widely lobed in middle, 

 basal three-fourths almost parallel-sided, front angles pro- 

 duced and strongly rounded; with minute punctures and with 

 some rather large scattered ones on sides and at extreme 

 base. Elytra with sides conspicuously inflated near shoulders, 

 with regular 'rows of moderately-large punctures, becoming 

 much smaller posteriorly, a much larger puncture or fovea 

 in the eighth row near shoulder, interstices with numerous 

 minute punctures. Inter-coxal process of prosternum obtusely 

 pointed in front, middle depressed towards base. Claws 

 simple. Length, 9 mm. 



Hob. — Queensland: Bundaberg (Blackburn's Collection). 

 Type (unique), I. 2678. 



Practically the only feature distinguishing Cj/clomela 

 from Chalcomela is the rounded base of the inter-coxal pro- 

 cess, and on the type of the present species the pin has 

 passed through the mesosternum forcing its middle on to the 

 prosternal process, but this appears to be rounded. From 

 nitida it differs in being slightly less rounded, with conspicu- 

 ous punctures on sides of prothorax, and in colour. 

 Structurally it is fairly close to Clmlcomela viridimicans, but 

 the head is reddish and prothorax black. In some lights the 

 elytra have a purplish gloss. 



Chalcomela eximia, Baly. 



Var. cupreosplendcns, Lea. 



The typical form of this species has the prothorax more 

 or less golden or golden-green, with the extreme apex and a 

 rather wide basal fascia purplish-blue; the elytra are purplish- 

 blue with golden or golden-green markings, forming on the 

 left elytron an irregular figure 6 (and, of course, reversed 

 on the right), all the golden markings where they join the 

 purple ones are more or less conspicuously bordered with 

 green. The figure' that accompanies the original description 

 is a very poor one and somewhat misleading. With a fairly- 

 extensive series of specimens it becomes evident that there 

 are many colour varieties, one of which was previously named 

 as distinct. On the prothorax a common variation is for 

 the purple or purplish-blue marking to be so extended that 

 the golden band of the typical form is broken up into three 

 lar^e spots — a somewhat wedge-shaped one on each side and 



