198 



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

 I. 1460. 



A small, cylindrical species, allied to vulneratus, but 

 smaller and with very different clothing. On the elytra, 

 under-surface, and legs the scales are dense, moderately stout, 

 and almost uniformly pale-stramineous. On the elytra each 

 seriate puncture contains a scale, but it is traceable with diffi- 

 culty, and the interstices are entirely without larger scales 

 amongst the others. On the prothorax the scales are stouter, 

 longer, not quite so dense, and feebly variegated. On the 

 head and base of rostrum they are much as on the elytra, 

 except that they are a trifle darker. The rostrum is no 

 longer than the prothorax. The type is probably a male. 



Mechistocerus metasternalis, n. sp. 



Black, antennae and tarsi red. Densely clothed with 

 1) rick-red scales, in places variegated with sooty-red ones. 



Head with coarse more or less concealed punctures. 

 Ocular fovea deep and narrow, but dilated in front. Rostrum 

 long and thin, basal fourth with concealed punctures and three 

 ridges, sides to antennae with rather small clearly-defined 

 punctures, elsewhere with minute ones. Scape inserted two- 

 fifths from apex or rostrum ; first joint of funicle slightly 

 longer than second. Frothorax moderately transverse, sides 

 rather lightly rounded; with a rather feeble median carina; 

 with crowded partially-concealed punctures. Elytra sub- 

 cordate, base trisinuate and about one-third wider than 

 prothorax, basal half parallel -sided ; with rows of very large, 

 deep punctures, becoming smaller posteriorly. Metasternum 

 short; with a wide, deep, and irregular median excavation, 

 each side of which is bounded posteriorly by a raised, shining, 

 densely punctate space; elsewhere with large or very large 

 punctures. Ahdofnen with basal segment flat in middle, with 

 some moderately large punctures, and some very large ones 

 on each side near coxae; second segment sloping downwards to 

 apex, with two or three irregular rows of fairly large 

 punctures. Legs rather long; hind femora strongly, the 

 others moderately, dentate ; hind ones passing elytra for a 

 short distance. Length, 5J-7J mm. 



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

 Kuranda (G. E. Bryant). Type, I. 146L 



Readily distinguished from all previously described 

 species by the metasternum. In build the species resembles 

 duplicattis, cancellatus, and punctiventris. The brick-red 

 scales clothe most of the upper-surface. On the elytra they 

 appear to be feebly fasciate in arrangement, partly owing to 

 the large punctures, and partly to small patches of sooty 



