90 



Hab. — South Australia: Tarcoola (A. M. Lea). Type 

 (unique), I. 12217. 



A small, very distinct, black and white species, in some 

 respects like L. flavonotatus, but antennae of different shape 

 and elytral spots and punctures very different. The pale 

 basal parts of the elytra are normally concealed by the pro- 

 thorax; two of the spots are at the basal third, and appear 

 as parts of a fascia widely interrupted at the suture, and 

 not touching the sides; the other spots are apical, and very 

 narrowly separated by the suture. 



Laius inconstans, n. sp. 



<S . Flavous and black or infuscated. Clothed with 

 sparse, ashen pubescence, and a few longer hairs. 



Head wide and gently convex ; with dense sharply denned 

 punctures. Antennae with basal joint fairly large, the 

 apparent second much larger, gently convex on lower-surface, 

 upper-surface with a curved ridge bounding two large unequal 

 excavations, apical corners somewhat produced, many of the 

 following joints slightly transverse. Prothorax about twice 

 as wide as long, sides strongly rounded* a shallow depression 

 near base ; with fairly dense and ratner sharply defined punc- 

 tures on sides, sparse elsewhere. Elytra almost parallel-sided 

 to near apex, sides and suture thickened; densely and 

 irregularly granulate-punctate, the punctures smaller and 

 sparser about base and tips than elsewhere. Second joint of 

 front tarsi large, lopsided, and with a black outer comb. 

 Length ( S , 9), 2-275 mm. 



9 . Differs in having the head smaller, the apparent 

 second joint of antennae simple, and about as long as the 

 two following combined, prothorax less transverse, and second 

 joint of front tarsi simple. 



Hab. — South Australia: Barton (A. M. Lea), Murray 

 River (A. H. Elston and K. F. Kemp). Type, I. 12218. " 



In general appearance approaches the variety of L. 

 pallidus described from Parachilna, but the antennae very 

 different. Of the four specimens before me no two are exactly 

 alike in colours. The type male has the head flavous, with 

 the basal half slightly infuscated, the prothorax is almost 

 black, with all the margins narrowly flavous, the scutellum 

 is black, the elytra at the extreme base (normally concealed 

 by the prothorax) are flavous, then there is a fairly wide 

 blackish fascia touching the suture but not the sides, then a 

 fairly wide, almost white one, touching the sides but not the 

 suture, then a wider blackish one touching the sides, and 

 narrowly interrupted at the suture, and then about the apical 

 fourth is flavous: the tarsi and tip of antennae are also 



