176 



Cacochroa variicollis, n. sp. 

 PL xii., figs. 132, 133, 134. 



S . Black, elytra of a dark-red, suture and sides infus- 

 cated; appendages more or less obscurely diluted with red. 

 Under-surface rather lightly clothed but the middle femora 

 densely clothed on the lower-surface. 



Head almost impunctate near base, with moderately 

 coarse punctures between eyes, becoming still coarser on 

 clypeus. Clypeus with almost parallel lateral ridges, apex 

 rather obtusely notched with the tips widely rounded. Club 

 about the width of clypeus. Prothorax with sides lightly 

 bisinuate but strongly decreasing in width from near base, 

 medio-basal sinus rather shallow, about two-thirds the width 

 of each of the lateral ones; with very small punctures, and 

 scattered ones of larger size, but still small, a few fairly 

 coarse ones on sides. Elytra distinctly but not much wider 

 than prothorax, suture depressed towards base and elevated 

 posteriorly; with numerous rows of distinct but not large 

 punctures, in places transversely confluent, apex and sides 

 near apex transversely strigose. Pygidium. obtusely pointed, 

 densely, concentrically strigose. Abdomen with a wide and 

 fairly deep median depression. Mesosternal process moder- 

 ately produced, and obtusely pointed. Front tibiae with outer 

 margin incurved from middle to apex, which is strongly 

 dentate; middle pair with apex triangularly bidentate and 

 bispinose ; hind pair with a median ridge, and with the apex 

 wide and lightly sinuous. Length ( <S , 9)> 17-20 mm. 



9 . Differs in being more robust, elytra less narrowed 

 posteriorly, pygidium more transverse, abdomen strongly con- 

 vex along middle, with the sides less concealed by the elytra, 

 front tibiae bidentate, the middle ones dentate about middle, 

 spurs to hind tibiae larger and less acute, and middle femora 

 less densely clothed. 



Hah. — Northern Queensland (H. Elgner) : Ayr, Ingham 

 (C. French), Endeavour River (National Museum, Melbourne, 

 from C. French). 



Allied to variabilis, but differs in having larger punctures 

 on the head and elytra, and the posthumeral incurvature much 

 less pronounced. On the female the front tibiae are some- 

 what differently armed, and the others are different at apex. 

 The front tibiae of the male are very differently armed, and 

 the legs differently clothed. The colour of the elytra is of 

 almost the same shade as the second variety of that species. 

 The colours as described apply to four, of the seven, speci- 

 mens under examination. The others (all from the Endeavour 

 River) differ as follows: — 



