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Group Galerucidae.
3356. Luperus simmondsi sp. nov. Luperus Geoffrey, Lacord. Hist. des Ins. Coleopt., tom. xi, p. 186.
Oblong, subdepressed, nude, shining; bluish-green, thorax blue, legs fuscous, tibiae usually paler, antennae nigrescent.
Head uneven, finely setose in front. Thorax nearly twice as broad as long, remotely and very finely punctured on the middle, a little more distinctly elsewhere, sometimes feebly rugose near the front and base; its sides gently rounded, with distinct margins and channels, but without any thickening of the angles. Scutellum smooth. Elytra oblong, rather broader behind than at the shoulders, with obtusely rounded apices, the suture aeneous; they are closely and distinctly but not coarsely punctate and more or less transversely rugose.
Antennae filiform, reaching backwards to the hind thighs, joints 4–11 about equal, 3rd joint evidently shorter than the 4th, yet not longer than the 2nd, the basal not much clavate, sometimes aeneous; they bear fine greyish pubescence.
Underside nigro-cyaneous, with yellowish-grey pubescence, the terminal ventral segment angularly prominent at the middle of its apex.
This should be placed near L. oleareae, which, however, is rather smaller and glossy aeneous.
Length, 5 ½ mm.; breadth, 2 ⅔ mm.
Mount Quoin, Tararua Range. A single specimen received from Mr. H. Simmonds, after whom it is named. It was taken off Olearea Colensoi; 4,000 ft. elevation.
Obs.—Var. almost wholly cyaneous; the greatly exposed conical pygidium with slender white hairs. A single example from the same source, 2 ½ by 1 ⅛ line.
3357. Luperus foveigerus sp. nov.
Robust, oblong, glabrous, glossy; elytra nigrescent, slightly tinged with red, the head and thorax violaceous and with irregular dark-crimson spots; legs and antennae more or less violaceous.
Head uneven. Thorax nearly twice as broad as long, only about a fourth of the length of the elytra, the anterior angles slightly thickened and prominent, with well-developed lateral margins and channels; near the middle there is a pair of obtuse nodules, the interval also smooth; the sculpture is irregular, consisting of very coarse punctures and smooth
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unequal interstices on the disc, but with narrower intervals near the sides. Scutellum impunctate. Elytra oblong, broader than thorax at the base; their sculpture very irregular, composed of punctures and foveae of different shapes, and short, smooth, apparently elevated interstices running in all directions right to the apices; the shoulders, however, have fine punctures only.
Antennae with fine greyish hairs, their 3rd joint rather longer than 2nd but shorter than 4th; they attain the posterior femora. Basal two joints of the tarsi narrow and subcylindric.
The remarkable, extremely coarse, elytral sculpture differentiates this from all the other species. L. asperellus (3020) is somewhat similar as regards size and colour. L. princeps, another beautiful insect, is narrower and obviously rufescent.
Length, 6 ½ mm.; breadth, 3 ⅓ mm.
Capleston, Westland. Unique, Discovered several years ago by Mr. A. T. Cavell.
3358. Luperus o'connori sp. nov.
Shining, nearly glabrous, having only a few slender marginal setae, legs and antennae, however, with numerous grey hairs; the head, legs, and antennae nigrescent, elytra testaceous, but with the base, suture, and margins broadly nigrescent, thorax more or less testaceous.
Head with a frontal carma along the middle, the interocular elevations distinct. Thorax nearly twice as broad as long, its sides only moderately curved, with fine margins, which are thickened in front, posterior angles rectangular; the surface obsoletely and not at all closely punctate. Scutellum smooth, black. Elytra broader than thorax at the base, with definite margins there, apices well rounded; punctation fine and moderately close; under the microscope there appear to be numerous very minute brassy setae.
Antennae elongate, basal joint moderately and gradually incrassate, 3rd longer than 2nd, but about a third shorter than 4th. Claws obviously appendiculate.
This, no doubt, comes near Sharp's L. nigricornis (2315), which I have not seen, but differs therefrom in sculpture and colour.
Length, 5 mm.; breadth, 2 ½ mm.
Ohau, near Wellington. Two examples from Mr. A. O'Connor, in whose honour this species has been named.
3359. Luperus atripennis sp. nov.
Oblong, rather narrow, shining, glabrous; head and thorax cyaneous, elytra nigresent, legs and antennae nigro-piceous.
Head rather narrow, a little uneven, without definite sculpture. Thorax a third broader than long, only a fourth of the length of the elytra, its sides nearly straight, anterior angles slightly incrassate but not prominent, the posterior nearly rectangular; its surface a little uneven, distinctly but irregularly punctate, with some slightly raised ill-defined spots which are distantly punctured. Elytra rather broader than thorax, with straight sides, apices very broadly rounded and not covering the pygidium; they are irregularly punctured, rather closely near the base and sides, coarsely elsewhere, and with somewhat elevated, very irregularly rugose intervals.
Antennae stout, their 3rd joint longer than the 2nd but shorter than the 4th.
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L. asperellus (3020) is most nearly allied to this species, which, however, differs therefrom in its narrower outline and by the absence of metallic red reflections. The sculpture of the thorax is not so coarse, but that of the elytra is just the reverse, nearly approaching that of L. foveigerus.
Length, 6 ½ mm.; breadth, 2 ½ mm.
Macetown, Lake Wakatipu. A pair sent by Mr. A. O'Connor from Mr. H. Hamilton's recent collections.