308 



Melanterius lamellatus, n. sp. 



cf . Black; rostrum, antennse^ and tarsi of a dingy-red.. 

 Densely clothed with stout sooty scales, variegated with 

 whitish spots. 



Eyes very coarsely faceted and widely separated. 

 Rostrum long, thin, and moderately curved, basal half witk 

 a median carina; basal third with coarse concealed punctures, 

 elsewhere with smaller clearly-defined ones. Scape thin, 

 somewhat shorter than funicle, inserted two-fifths from apex 

 of rostrum; first joint of funicle slightly longer than second. 

 Prothorar moderately transverse; with dense, normally 

 almost-concealed punctures; with a feeble remnant of a 

 median line. Elytra rather long, decidedly wider than pro- 

 thorax, parallel-sided to near apex ; wdth rows of rather large- 

 but normally almost (or quite) concealed punctures, in dis- 

 tinct stri^; alternate interstices strongly elevated. Under- 

 surface with dense and rather coarse punctures ; but a single- 

 row in middle of each of the metasternal episterna. Basal 

 segment of abdomen flattened in middle; apical with a trans- 

 verse impression. Four hind femora each with a small but 

 acute tooth, the others with a still more minute one. Length, 

 5J-6J mm. 



9 . Differs in having the rostrum with smaller punc- 

 tures and antennae inserted not quite so close to apex. 



Hah. — Queensland: Dalby (Mrs. F. H. Hobler). 



The individual scales are wide, and give the surface a 

 somewhat plated appearance ; on the under-surf ace they vary 

 from mostly white to mostly sooty. 



This and the two following species (and there are at least 

 two other undescribed species of the same group) might have- 

 been referred to a new genus rather than to Melanterius ; and 

 two of them in fact have the tip of the rostrum not continued 

 beyond the mesosternum, and this, in my table of the genera 

 allied to JIelante?mis,^'^^^ would appear to denote that (as the- 

 eyes are coarsely faceted) they belonged to Psydestis, or to a 

 new genus; but in one of them the rostrum does pass the 

 mesosternum, and the species are so obviously allied (in fact 

 at first they appear to belong to but one species) that it would 

 be absurd to generically separate them. They are less compact 

 than the species of Diethusa, and the second abdominal seg- 

 ment is rather large. In many species of Diethusa some of 

 the alternate interstices of the elytra are elevated, but usually 

 the elevation is of the nature of a ridge or carina, and is 

 shining. In these species the elevation consists of the whole' 



(i6)Proc. Linn. Soc. X.S.W.. 1899, p. 200. 



