218 



but traceable throughout. Elytra with base strongly 

 trismuate, closely applied to and scarcely wider than pro- 

 thorax ; sides almost parallel to beyond the middle ; with 

 rows of rather large and somewhat distant punctures, in dis- 

 tinct striae; interstices much wider than seriate punctures, 

 ridged along middle, with a mOi.e or less obscure row of 

 punctures on each side of each ridge. Metasternnm very 

 feebly ridged on each side between coxae ; punctures of 

 episterna interrupted. Ahdomen with basal segment dis- 

 tinctly produced in middle of apex, so that there its length 

 is almost equal to that of the three following combined, 

 narrowly depressed along middle, each side of depression 

 marked by a row of sparse but very distinct scales, becoming 

 rather numerous at apex; second segment along middle very 

 little longer than third or fourth, each of these with a con- 

 spicuous row of punctures across middle. Legs rather thin; 

 femora moderately grooved and lightly dentate; hind tibiae- 

 very feebly dilated at apex. Length, 4 mm. 



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

 I. 1316. 



Readily distinguished from all previously described 

 species by the abdomen of the male. At a glance the type 

 is extremely like some of the small variegated species of 

 Melanterius, and in fact, without examination of the meso- 

 sternal receptacle, it is quite impossible to decide as to whether 

 many species belong to Tyrtceosus or to Melanterius. The 

 derm, where not concealed by scales, appears to have a bluish 

 iridescence, this being specially noticeable on the abdomen and 

 on the dark parts of the elytra. The elytra are rather pretty 

 owing to the spotting of the ochreous scales on the red derm 

 and the many blue-black patches. On the prothorax the 

 scales seldom rise to the general level. The depression behind 

 each eye appears to be in the form of a triangle from certain 

 directions. Two, near the base three, of the lateral interstices- 

 are highly polished, but this is a fairly common feature in 

 the genus, and the amount of polish is probably due, to a 

 certain extent, to rubbing by the femora. 



Two specimens (from Kuranda) appear to be females, 

 they differ from the type in being smaller (3f mm.), with the 

 basal segment of abdomen gently convex in middle, without 

 longitudinal rows of scales, and the apex very feebly produced, 

 so that, along middle, its length is only about equal to that 

 of the third and fourth combined, and the second is con- 

 spicuously longer than the third or fourth. The rostrum is 

 thinner, with smaller and sparser punctures, and the elytra 

 are conspicuously wider than the prothorax, with the base less 

 noticeably trisinuate. 



