203 



BROSCIDES 



(SUB-FAM. OF COLEOPTKFiA). 

 By THOMAS G. SL0A:NE, F.E.S. 



Before dealing with the species of the sub-family Broscini 

 which follow, it is necessary to oifer some remarks on the classi- 

 fication of those Australian Broscides which are characterised by 

 having the sinus of the mentum without any median tooth-like 

 projection. These are comprised in five genera, viz., (4nathoxys 

 (Westwood), Parroa, Adotela, Cerotalis (Oastelnau;, and Brithy- 

 sternum (Macleay, W.). It is only with those species that fall 

 into the genera Parroa, Adoteln, and Cerotalis that we are at 

 present concerned. In forming these three genera. Count de 

 Castelnau (Trans. Roy. Soc. Victoria, VIII., 1868) relied entirely 

 on features belonging to the male to separate them from one 

 another. The differences he gives may be talnilated as follows : — 



Male with last joint of palpi thick, oval, truncate ; anterior 

 tarsi not clothed with spongiose tissue below. Parroa. 



Male with last joint of palpi securiform ; three basal joints of 

 anterior tarsi with spongiose tissue below. Adotela. 



Male with last joint of palpi truncate ; four basal joints of 

 anterior tarsi with spongiose tissue below. Cerotalis. 



The late M. Putzeys, in monographing the Broscini in 1868 

 (Stett. Ent. Zeit.), united Casteluau's genus Cerotalis with 

 Promecoderus, but followed that author in maintaining Parroa 

 and Adotela as separate genera. lleturning to the subject in 

 1873, he reviewed the Broscides of the Castelnau collection 

 (Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov., IV.), when lie still united Cerotalis 

 with Promecoderus, and also united Parroa with Adotela, be- 

 lieving the genus Parroa had only been founded on female speci- 

 mens of Adotela. He remarks (p. 3.'')7) — " Toutes les Parroa de 

 la collection sont des males et les Adotela females ne different pas 

 des Parroa," 



In 1890, when reviewing the genus Promecoderus and the 

 Australian Broscides allied to it (Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. (2), 

 v.), I regarded (as I still do) Cerotalis as distinct from Promeco- 

 derus, but I united Parroa with Adotela, remarking (p. 229) : — 

 "When de Castelnau wrote on the Australian Broscini in 1867, 

 he was misled by the very different form of the palpi in the 

 ditt'erent sexes of this genus, and formed a separate genus for 

 each sex." In extenuation of my mistake in thus misrepresent- 



