250 



The outlines and punctures, except that the latter are 

 somewhat smaller and denser, are almost as in the preceding 

 species, and the sexual differences are the same; but the 

 upper-surfacs entirely reddish, except for a narrow line where 

 the prothorax and elytra meet, will readily distinguish it 

 from that, as from most species of the genus; in build it is 

 somewhat like epilachnoides, except that it is larger and less 

 oblong; rutilus is much larger and with very different 

 clothing; and ^ilula and signifer have different clothing and 

 markings. 



ElAPHODES NIGEOVARIUS, n. Sp. 



S . Black and red. Moderately densely clothed with 

 pale pubescence. 



Head with crowded punctures, becoming smaller and 

 sparser on clypeus. Prothorax moderately long ; punctures 

 dense and small; a vague median line usually indicated. 

 Elytra with dense and small punctures; striae well-defined 

 on the sides, feeble or entirely absent elsewhere. Length 

 (cf, 9)> 3-4 mm. 



9 . Differs in being larger, and in the usual particulars 

 of eyes, legs, and abdomen. 



Hah . — South Australia (Macleay Museum) : Port Lincoln 

 (Blackburn's collection), Murray Bridge (J. G. O. Tepper). 

 Type, I. 3837. 



The general outlines are much as in the two preceding 

 species, but the colours and finer sculpture of the elytra are 

 very different; the clothing appears to be easily abraded, as 

 some of the specimens in the Museum are almost glabrous. 

 The black varies in extent and often has a distinct metallic 

 gloss ; on the head it extends from the base to midway between 

 the eyes, sometimes almost to the clypeus, but occasionally 

 the head is entirely red ; on the prothorax it may extend over 

 the whole surface, or (usually in the females) leave a fairly 

 wide space on each side red; on the elytra it varies from 

 covering almost half of the surface on some males to absent 

 (except for narrow black lines at the base and suture) on 

 'some females, but usuall}'- is in the form of a large sub- 

 triangular medio-basal blotch ; the sterna are usually entirely 

 black; the abdomen is sometimes entirely red (usually so in 

 females), but one-fourth or more may be black; usually some 

 of the antennal joints are infuscated. 



Elaphodes multimaculatus, n. sp. 



o' . Of a dingy rusty-red, with numerous black or 

 infuscated spots or markings. Moderately densely clothed 

 with pale pubescence, becoming darker on the dark parts. 



