62 

 BRUCHIDJE. 



BRUCHUS. 



B. lyndhurstensis, sp. nov. Rufo-castaneus, capite antennis 

 apicem versus metasterno elytorum sutura maculisque 

 nonnullis lateralibus et tarsorum apice obscurioribus ; supra 

 pube ochracea et albida indeterminate variegatus ; subtus 

 cum pygidio sat dense albido-pubescens ; capite modice 

 elongate- minus lato (fere ut B. rufimanus, Schonh.) inter 

 oculos longitudinaliter carinato ; oculis subtiliter granulato 

 (ut B. rufimanus) ; antennis sat brevibus sat robustis, 

 articulis 5°— 10° inter se sat aequalibus leviter trans versis 

 leviter serratis ; prothorace conico, crebre subtiliter aspere 

 punctulato ; elytris subtiliter striatis, interstiis planis ut 

 prothorax punctulatis ; femoribus posticis inermibus. 



Maris segmento basali ventrali fovea magna circulari (hac pube 

 Gubtili flava in funda vestita) impresso. Long., 1 1.; lat.,41. 



Variat antennis minus obscuris, capite postice testaceo, elytris 

 in sutura et ad latera magis late obscuris, pygidio nigro- 

 maculato vel fere omnino nigro, femoribus posticis plus 

 minusve obscuris. 



A most variable species, if I am right in considering the speci- 

 mens before me (which were taken by myself and others, in 

 Central Australia in seeds of Cassia) as representing only a single 

 species. The most distinctive character seems to be that on the 

 basal ventral segment of the male, consisting in the presence of a 

 large shallow circular impression placed anteriorly, and having a 

 diameter equal to about two-thirds of the length of the segment 

 on the median line. In some examples this impression is more 

 sharply defined on the hind part of its outline than in others, and 

 in some its floor is covered with fine yellow pubescence, which is 

 wanting in others. I take these differences to be caused partly 

 by abrasion and partly to be an instance of the variability in 

 respect of development of sexual character so often found in 

 species where such characters are of a very pronounced type. 

 Only one species (B. perpastus. Lea) of Bruchus with unarmed 

 hind femora has hitherto been described as Australian, and un- 

 fortunately the description of that insect does not refer to sexual 

 characters — but its stating that the insect is black and of almost 

 circular outline, with a triangular scutellum, seem to indicate 

 clearly that it is not much like the present insect. In the species 

 I am describing the scutellum is somewhat quadrangular, though 

 appearing of different form according to degree of abrasion, posi- 

 tion of prothorax, (fee, but not definitely triangular in any speci- 

 men. In Mr. Lea's tabulation of Bruchi (Proc. L.S., N.S.W., 

 1898, pp. 637-8) the place of this species is beside B. perpastus. 

 Lea. 



