﻿THE 
  AUSTRALIAN 
  FERN 
  WEEVILS. 
  173 
  

  

  function 
  apparently 
  being 
  to 
  engage 
  with 
  the 
  equally 
  complex 
  transfer 
  apparatus 
  

   of 
  the 
  male 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  bring 
  the 
  orifice 
  of 
  the 
  ductus 
  ejaculatorius 
  opposite 
  the 
  duct 
  

   leading 
  to 
  the 
  spermatheca. 
  The 
  characteristic 
  eighth 
  ventrite 
  (PL 
  viii, 
  fig. 
  6) 
  is 
  

   very 
  similar 
  in 
  the 
  three 
  species, 
  only 
  differing 
  slightly 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  angulated 
  

   free 
  end. 
  

  

  The 
  preparations 
  from 
  which 
  figures 
  2, 
  3, 
  5 
  and 
  6 
  on 
  Plate 
  vii 
  were 
  drawn 
  were 
  

   kindly 
  lent 
  to 
  me 
  by 
  Mr. 
  F. 
  Muir. 
  

  

  Genus 
  Neosyagrius, 
  Lea. 
  

  

  Neosyagrius 
  porosus, 
  sp. 
  nov. 
  (Plate 
  vi, 
  fig. 
  5). 
  

  

  (J 
  $. 
  — 
  Integument 
  dull 
  black 
  or 
  piceous, 
  unevenly 
  clothed 
  with 
  pale 
  brownish 
  

   scales 
  of 
  very 
  different 
  sizes. 
  

  

  Head 
  shin)' 
  and 
  bare 
  on 
  the 
  vertex 
  and 
  with 
  shallow 
  reticulate 
  punctation 
  ; 
  

   the 
  forehead 
  quite 
  flat, 
  with 
  dense 
  scaling, 
  which 
  conceals 
  the 
  sculpture. 
  Rostrum 
  

   with 
  the 
  dorsal 
  outline 
  almost 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  plane 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  forehead 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  

   antennae, 
  then 
  sloping 
  rather 
  abruptly 
  ; 
  the 
  flat 
  portion 
  opaque, 
  very 
  finely 
  shagreened, 
  

   densely 
  squamose 
  like 
  the 
  forehead 
  and 
  indistinctly 
  tricarinate, 
  with 
  a 
  longitudinal 
  

   impression 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  just 
  above 
  the 
  sinuous 
  carina 
  that 
  forms 
  the 
  upper 
  margin 
  of 
  

   the 
  scrobe 
  ; 
  the 
  apical 
  area 
  rather 
  more 
  shiny, 
  shallowly 
  punctate, 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  sparse 
  

   band 
  of 
  very 
  small 
  scales 
  between 
  the 
  apices 
  of 
  the 
  scrobes. 
  Antennae 
  with 
  the 
  scape 
  

   strongly 
  bisinuate 
  in 
  the 
  basal 
  half, 
  the 
  apical 
  half 
  broadly 
  clavate, 
  the 
  outer 
  face 
  

   grooved 
  for 
  the 
  reception 
  of 
  the 
  funicle, 
  the 
  posterior 
  edge 
  with 
  a 
  sharp 
  carina 
  that 
  

   does 
  not 
  reach 
  the 
  apex, 
  the 
  anterior 
  face 
  clothed 
  with 
  long, 
  subrecumbent, 
  squami- 
  

   form 
  setae 
  ; 
  the 
  funicle 
  with 
  joints 
  1 
  and 
  2 
  very 
  long 
  and 
  subequal, 
  3 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  broad, 
  

   the 
  rest 
  becoming 
  progressively 
  shorter 
  and 
  more 
  transverse. 
  Prothorax 
  subquadrate, 
  

   as 
  long 
  as 
  broad, 
  with 
  the 
  sides 
  subparallel 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  for 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  its 
  length, 
  

   and 
  narrowing 
  rather 
  more 
  at 
  the 
  apex 
  than 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  the 
  basal 
  margin 
  broadly 
  

   rounded 
  ; 
  the 
  whole 
  surface 
  covered 
  with 
  deep, 
  coarse, 
  subreticulate 
  punctures, 
  

   the 
  apical 
  area 
  depressed 
  much 
  below 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  somewhat 
  tumid 
  disk, 
  which 
  is 
  

   traversed 
  by 
  a 
  broad, 
  deep, 
  longitudinal 
  furrow 
  that 
  widens 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  ; 
  the 
  spaces 
  

   between 
  the 
  punctures 
  finely 
  shagreened 
  and 
  bearing 
  flattened, 
  subrecumbent, 
  brown 
  

   setae. 
  Scutellum 
  minute, 
  triangular. 
  Elytra 
  ovate, 
  broadest 
  near 
  the 
  base 
  and 
  rapidly 
  

   narrowing 
  behind, 
  narrower 
  in 
  the 
  £ 
  ; 
  the 
  basal 
  margin 
  strongly 
  sinuate, 
  with 
  the 
  

   external 
  angles 
  projecting 
  forwards, 
  the 
  lateral 
  areas 
  markedly 
  inflexed, 
  and 
  the 
  apex 
  

   obtusely 
  rounded 
  in 
  the 
  $ 
  and 
  almost 
  subtruncate 
  in 
  the 
  <J 
  ; 
  the 
  dorsal 
  outline 
  in 
  

   the 
  $ 
  rising 
  abruptly 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  then 
  almost 
  flat 
  to 
  the 
  middle, 
  then 
  sloping 
  strongly 
  

   and 
  becoming 
  almost 
  perpendicular 
  behind, 
  in 
  the 
  $ 
  more 
  convex 
  in 
  the 
  basal 
  half 
  

   and 
  less 
  steep 
  behind 
  ; 
  the 
  very 
  shallow 
  striae 
  each 
  containing 
  a 
  row 
  of 
  large 
  spaced 
  

   punctures 
  (containing 
  no 
  granules), 
  those 
  in 
  stria 
  7 
  smaller 
  than 
  those 
  in 
  8 
  and 
  9, 
  

   and 
  the 
  punctures 
  in 
  row 
  10 
  (which 
  is 
  complete) 
  much 
  smaller 
  still 
  ; 
  the 
  intervals 
  

   smooth, 
  without 
  granules 
  or 
  punctures, 
  and 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  connected 
  together 
  by 
  

   higher 
  transverse 
  septa 
  in 
  the 
  striae, 
  the 
  depression 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  suture 
  being 
  

   very 
  shallow 
  ; 
  the 
  unequal 
  curved 
  subrecumbent 
  scales 
  fairly 
  dense 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  from 
  

   the 
  shoulder 
  to 
  stria 
  2 
  and 
  on 
  irregular 
  transverse 
  patches 
  on 
  the 
  disk 
  and 
  declivity, 
  

   elsewhere 
  on 
  the 
  disk 
  sparse 
  and 
  uneven, 
  the 
  lateral 
  inflexed 
  areas 
  being 
  quite 
  bare. 
  

   Legs 
  stout, 
  the 
  femora 
  strongly 
  clavate, 
  the 
  front 
  pair 
  rather 
  thicker 
  than 
  the 
  others 
  ; 
  

   the 
  squamiform 
  setae 
  elongate, 
  fairly 
  dense 
  and 
  fulvous, 
  subrecumbent 
  on 
  the 
  femora, 
  

   more 
  raised 
  on 
  the 
  tibiae, 
  and 
  the 
  femora 
  without 
  a 
  pale 
  ring. 
  Venter 
  with 
  long, 
  

   curved, 
  suberect, 
  flattened 
  setae 
  ; 
  in 
  the 
  $ 
  the 
  first 
  visible 
  ventrite 
  with 
  a 
  very 
  deep 
  

   median 
  impression 
  containing 
  numerous 
  fine 
  erect 
  setae, 
  its 
  posterior 
  margin 
  bearing 
  

   two 
  transversely 
  laminate 
  small 
  erect 
  tubercles 
  ; 
  the 
  anal 
  ventrite 
  of 
  the 
  J 
  broadly 
  

   impressed 
  and 
  with 
  large 
  shallow 
  punctures. 
  

  

  