342 



AUSTRALIAN COLEOPTERA -PART 1. 



By Albert H. Elston, F.E.S. 

 [Read September 11, 1919.] 



PAUSSIDAE. 



Arthropterus articularis, n. sp. (fig. 1). 



Dark castaneous, elytra slightly paler. With very short 

 and sparse setae, except on sides and legs where they are more 

 numerous and longer. 



Head wide, slight interocular depression, with numerous 

 clearly-defined but somewhat irregular punctures; sides 

 tuberculate behind the eyes. Anilennae with more numerous 

 punctures being somwhat subrugose at sides, first joint stout, 

 slightly longer than second and third combined, second about 

 three times wide as long, fourth to ninth each about twice as 

 wide as long and almost semicircular, the tenth about as long 

 as eighth and ninth combined, almost circular, its apex slightly 

 more rounded than base. Prothorax slightly narrower than 

 head, apex somewhat wider than base; disk flattened, median 

 line clearly defined, margins slightly reflexed, more so at basal 

 angles than elsewhere, with numerous well-defined but some- 

 what irregular and small punctures. Scutellum subtriangular. 

 Elytra about thrice as long as prothorax, with irregular sub- 

 seriate punctures, smaller than those on prothorax and almost 

 disappearing posteriorly ; apical membrane about as long as 

 scutellum. Front tibiae each with a large apical spur over- 

 hanging an apical notch, the middle and hind ones are 

 similarly furnished but much less conspicuously, and all 

 strongly curve inwards on underside near base. Length, 

 5-5ij mm.; width, 3-3^ mm. Type, in author's collection; 

 cotype, I. 10842, in South Australian Museum. 



Hab. — South Australia: Quorn (A. H. Elston), Lake 

 Callabonna (A. Zeitz). 



This species is easily distinguished by the apical joint of 

 the antennae, which is almost circular, and the fourth to ninth 

 which are somewhat semicircular in shape. On some specimens 

 the interocular depression is more pronounced than on others, 

 and those taken at Lake Callabonna are much darker in colour 

 (although this is probably due to age), the prothorax and head v 

 being a dark brown, and in being more hairy, especially on 

 antennae. The elytral pubescence is semi-erect and very short, 

 but is quite distinct when viewed from the sides. On each of 

 the front tibiae the apical spur is much larger than the free 

 spur, but on the others the free spur is the more conspicuous 



