195 



Neomelanterius interruptus, n. sp. 



Black, antennge and tarsi red. Clothed with rather long 

 straggling white setae, denser on metasternum, basal segment 

 of abdomen, and legs than elsewhere. 



Head with dense round punctures. Eyes close together, a 

 narrow impression behind each. Rostrum the length of pro- 

 thorax, almost straight ; basal fourth with three strong carinas, 

 separating strong rows of punctures, elsewhere with small 

 punctures. Scape thin, inserted one-third from apex of ros- 

 trum, the length of funicle ; first joint of funicle stouter than 

 •second, but scarcely longer. Frofliora.i almost as long as wide ; 

 wath dense and rather large, more or less confluent punctures ; 

 with a narrow and continuous median carina. Eh/tra cordate, 

 sides rather strongly rounded, with rows of rather large, some- 

 what distant punctures, becoming small posteriorly : inter- 

 stices more or less acutely carinated. Ahdomen vnth. dense and 

 rather coarse punctures on the apical, and the two basal seg- 

 ments ; first short and strongly convex, apical with subreni- 

 form impression. Femora modera.tely stout and rather strongly 

 dentate. Length, 5 ram.. 



Hah. — Queensland: Cairns district (A. M. Lea). Tvpe, 

 I. 136L 



The elytral sculpture is practically identical wdth that of 

 carinicollis, but that of the prothorax is very different. The 

 prothoracic punctures are readily seen, but here and there two 

 or three are more or less confluent, in consequence of which 

 there appears to be a few short irregular caringe, but these are 

 very different to the long carinas of carinicoUis, conspicuous 

 from base to apex, and with the punctures (except at the sides) 

 not in evidence. It also differs from that species in being nar- 

 rower, deep-black, and with somewhat different clothing. The 

 second, fourth, sixth, and eighth interstices are each distinctly 

 carinated near the base, but the carina is then interrupted for 

 a short distance, so that large punctures appear to be in double 

 rows there. 



NEOLYB.EBA, Blackb.^'^) 



This genus is extremely close to DiefJuisa, and probably 

 should be merged in it. It is known only from a single (and 

 probably a female) specimen, now in the South Australian 

 Museum. Its eyes are unusually coarsely faceted, more so 

 than in any species of Diethusa known to me, and the second 

 abdominal segment is also larger than in most species of that 

 genus. Its four front tibias are bicalcarate at apex (a variable 

 feature in both Diethusa and Melanteriu,<<) ^ the smaller spur 

 being partially concealed by clothing. 



(4) Trans. Roy, Soc., S. Aust., 1892, p. 193. 

 h2 



