257 



REVISION OF THE AUSTRALIAN SPECIES OF 

 ADELIUM. 



Bv H. J. Carter, B.A., F.E.S. 



(Plate iii.) 



Since 1862 when Blessig wrote his admirably succinct paper* 

 on Australian Heteromera, nothing has been done towards a 

 s} r stematic review of the large genus Adelium. Blessig had then 

 fifteen species to consider. Excluding New Zealand and Island 

 species, those described have increased to eighty, of which many 

 are identified in Australian museums. Having collected a large 

 number of these insects myself, and with the material and infor- 

 mation kindly supplied by other Australian entomologists, amongst 

 whom I would especially mention Messrs. Lea, Blackburn, Sloane 

 and French, I have ventured to hope that this imperfect mono- 

 graph will be of some assistance towards a better knowledge of 

 the relation and classification of this genus. The opportunity of 

 a visit to the Museums of Brussels, Paris, and especially to the 

 Natural History Museum of London, has enabled me to further 

 verify my identification of species by a comparison of my collec- 

 tion with types. I take this opportunity of expressing my 

 obligations to Mr. C. O. Waterhouse and Mr. C. J. Gahan for 

 their courtesy and kindly . assistance at the last-mentioned 

 Institution. 



The Heteromerous insects known under the generic term 

 Adelium are widely distributed over Australia. It is probable 

 some of them will be found wherever there is sufficient moisture 

 and soil to produce timber on that Continent. It is doubtful if 

 a true Adelium has yet been found outside Australia (including 



* Hor. Soc. Ent. Ross. 

 20 



