150 



to the specimen having been in some way injured before 

 maturity. In all other structural details it agrees absolutely 

 with normal females. 



DlLOCHROSIS ATRIPENNIS, Macl. 



var. castanea, Janson. 



The typical form of this species has the elytra of a very 

 dark-brown, almost black; but the species varies to a form 

 in which the only dark parts are some faint infuscations at 

 the base of pro thorax and elytra, and a vague spot on each 

 side of the former. The commonest form is one in which 

 the head and scutellum are blackish, and there is a 

 distinct spot on each shoulder. This form has been named 

 castanea A 25 ) 



Mr. Janson stated that castanea could be distinguished 

 from atripennis by "the four posterior tibiae of the female 

 being armed externally with an acute tooth in the middle." 

 But all the females of atripennis now before me are so armed, 

 and the males have these tibiae unarmed in the middle. The 

 species varies from 30 to 40 mm. in length, and is widely 

 distributed in the tropical parts of Australia, although 

 apparently nowhere common. 



Dilochrosis torrida, Janson. 



There are before me two specimens from Western Aus- 

 tralia (Beverley and King Sound) that I have long had under 

 the name of torrida. They are entirely castaneous on the 

 upper-surface, with the exception of a slight infuscation at 

 the base of the prothorax and the elytral suture. The upper- 

 surface has not the high polish that is usual in Dilochrosis; 

 but there are many other specimens of the subfamily in which 

 the degree of polish varies very considerably, and is probably 

 due to a certain extent to immersion in spirits or other 

 liquids, or to other causes. These specimens have the four 

 hind tibiae each armed at the middle with a sharp spine, and 

 as the abdomen is evenly convex along the middle they are 

 certainly females. But the type was described as having the 

 four hind tibiae simple externally and the sign " 9 " was used 

 for it; possibly, however, in error. The two specimens under 

 examination vary somewhat in comparative widths, in the 

 colour of the under-surface and punctures of the abdomen, 

 but I believe them to represent an extreme form of atri- 

 pennis, and think it probable that the name torrida should 

 be regarded as a varietal one. 



(25) Reference to the figure of castanea (Cist. Ent., i., pi. vi., 

 fig. 1) was omitted from Masters' Catalogue. 



