65 



colouring of the derm in the two insects is very similar, but the 

 pubescence of the elytra differs considerably, a fresh specimen of 

 quornensis having a very mottled appearance while a fresh speci- 

 men of persimulans has an even vestiture of whitish pubescence. 

 The present insect is considerably larger than quornensis and has 

 very different antennae, there being much less difference in size 

 between the fourth and fifth joints and the fifth and sixth joints 

 being inter se equally dilated, while in quornensis the fifth joint 

 is notably less dilated than the sixth. B. persimulans also has a 

 good deal of colour resemblance to partially abraded examples of 

 some varieties of B. lyndhurstensis, but is readily distinguished 

 from it by its longer antennae, black prothorax, as well as by the 

 presence of a tooth on the hind femora and the absence of sexual 

 characters on the basal ventral segment. This species does not 

 fit into any of the groups in Mr. Lea's tabulation, not having its 

 prothorax and elytra either both red or both black. 

 Central Australia ; Oodnadatta. 



PHYTOPHAGA. 



MEGASCELOIDES. 



M. circumcinctus, sp. nov. Fern. Minus elongatus ; pubescens ; 

 piceus, antennarum basi capite prothorace antice elytris 

 (marginibus totis anguste piceis exceptis) pedibusque rutis ; 

 capite brevi lato sat fortiter punctulato ; antennis filiformi- 

 bus quam corporis dimidium sublongioribus ; prothorace 

 quam longiori plus quam sesquilatiori, subquadrato, convexo, 

 subtiliter inaequaliter punctulato, marginibus omnibus sat 

 rectis, angulis anticis subdentiformibus posticis obtusis ; 

 elytris sat crebre minus subtiliter punctulatis, lineis vix 

 elevatis longitudinalibus circiter 3 instructis ; femoribus 

 leviter incrassatis. Long., 3f 1.; lat., If 1. (vix). 



The insect described above has been in my collection for some 

 considerable time placed doubtfully as belonging to the 

 Megaseelides. Mr. French has recently sent me an insect closely 

 allied to it which being a male I can identify confidently with 

 Mr. Jacoby's genus Megasceloides (it is probably the typical 

 species) ; and by comparing my species with it I have satisfied 

 myself that the former is a female of the same genus. It differs 

 from the male in what are likely to be sexual characters by the 

 intermediate joints of its antennae scarcely dilated and its less 

 strongly dilated femora. Specifically it differs from M. pallidus 

 by its colouring (the prothorax piceous with its anterior one- 

 third testaceous and the elytra narrowly and abruptly edged all 

 round with piceous black), by its notably more transverse pro- 

 thorax, the front angles of which are dentiform, and by the less 

 numerous elevated lines on its elytra. 



W. Australia. 



