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Records of the Australian Museum (2009) Vol. 61 
Figure 1. Thriocerodes decussates n.sp. holotype, scale = 1 mm. 
Specimen repositories are abbreviated as follows: AMS: 
Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia; ANIC: Australian 
National Insect Collection, Canberra, Australia; BMNH: 
Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom; 
MNHN: Museum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, 
France; MVMA: Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Australia; 
QM: Queensland Museum, South Brisbane, Australia; SAM: 
South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia. 
Cormodes darwini Pascoe (Clerinae) 
This conspicuous brachypterous species was described 
from, and is endemic to, Lord Howe Island, though it is now 
presumed extinct (likely due to predation by rats). Twenty- 
four specimens are known: AMS (5), SAM (9), BMNH (3), 
MNHN (3), MVMA (3) and QM (1). One AMS specimen 
was collected from Kentia palms ( Howea sp.). 
Lemidia subaenea Gorham (Hydnocerinae) 
Described in 1877 from New South Wales and Tasmania, L. 
subaenea is likely to have been introduced to Lord Howe 
Island from southeastern Australia. Three Lord Howe 
collected specimens are known: AMS (2) and ANIC (1); 
the earliest being that collected by T.G. Campbell in 1956 
(ANIC specimen). In Tasmania L. subaenea is predatory 
on the larvae of Synanthedon tipuliformis (Clerck) 
(Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) tunnelling in Ribes nigrum (Hardy 
1982) while in southeastern Australia it is a predator of 
psyllids on Acacia (New 1978). 
Thriocerodes bipartitus (Pic) (Enopliinae) 
Likely introduced to Lord Howe Island, T. bipartitus 
is otherwise known from Queensland and the Northern 
Territory in Australia. Six Lord Howe collected specimens 
are known: AMS (3) and ANIC (3); first collected from Lord 
Howe Island in 1985 by G. Bornemissza (ANIC specimen). 
Thriocerodes decussates n.sp. 
Fig. 1 
Type material. Lord Howe Island : Holotype: AMS K185981,1/3 way up 
Goat House Trail (1st patch of palms) (31°33'47"S 159°05'09"E), 23 Nov. 
2001, C.Reid, beating palms etc, c.280 m. Paratype (1): AMS K185982, 
same data as holotype. 
Diagnosis. Small, compact, flightless; dorsum densely 
vested with fine setae; pronotum strongly convex; body 
black-brown with yellow X-shaped maculation across basal 
half of elytra; unlikely to be confused with any other clerid 
on Lord Howe Island. 
Description. Total length: 3.4-4.1 mm. Head black-brown 
basally, frons medially and clypeus red-brown; frons, vertex 
and genae behind eyes distributed with a dense network 
of wrinkled punctation, densely vested with long pale 
posteriorly directed setae; eyes without distinct emargination; 
genae ventrally foveolate to smooth; gula smooth; labrum 
yellow-orange; maxillae and labium pale yellow; distal 
margins of terminal palpomeres slightly shorter than inner 
margins; antennae almost reaching pronotal base, vested 
with erect setae, pedicel and scape yellow, globular, A3-8 
orange-brown, A3 elongate, A4-8 becoming progressively 
sub-globular, club dark brown, approximately as long as 
combined length of A5-8, A9-10 cupuliform, wider than 
long, their apical circumferences lined with a ring of short, 
white, forward directed setae, terminal segment obliquely 
rounded to vaguely trapezoidal. Prothorax black-brown, 
transverse (length:width = 0.9:1), sub-spherical; disc sub- 
glabrous though densely distributed with conspicuous 
circular foveolate punctation, densely vested with fine, pale, 
anteriorly positioned/posteriorly directed and posteriorly 
positioned/anteriorly directed setae, plus several longer 
erect setae. Elytra compact (length:width = 1.6:1), 
black-brown; basal half punctate, with a large yellowish 
X-shaped maculation, apical half smooth; punctations 
without internal nodules, reduced to smooth circular sub- 
foveolate impressions arranged in poorly-defined rows, 
those within black-brown area either side of X-shaped 
pattern more deeply impressed; disc densely vested with fine 
posteriorly directed setae plus several slightly thicker erect 
setae. Mesosternum dark brown, impressed with foveolate 
punctation. Metastemum dark brown laterally, orange brown 
medially, surface foveolate anteriorly, smooth posteriorly. 
