Castelnau, Notes on Australian Col., 1867, p. 80; Trans. R. Soc. Vict., VIII, 1868, p. 166; Putzeys, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, IV, 1873, p. 319; Broun, M., i, 1880, p. 14.

Generic characters: Head: frons smooth, eyes prominent, hemispherical; one supraorbital puncture bearing 2 or 3 setae; ligula as in Oregus but emarginate at apex and with paraglossae short, not extending beyond apex; palpi with terminal segments subcylindrical and widest near middle; penultimate segments of labial palpi with 4 setae; mentum with bifid tooth, side pieces truncate; antennae very short, about 4 mm. in length, antennal segments 1–3 subcylindrical, 4–11 subglobose, slightly flattened; segments 1–5 glabrous, segments 6–11 with a small area of pubescence on each side, the sizes of these areas increasing towards the terminal segment; mandibles strongly curved, constricted near the base as in Metaglymma, so that when closed the basal halves are largely concealed beneath the clypeus and labrum; mandible without a seta in the scrobe; maxillae as in Metaglymma; median tooth of mentum bifid; apex of labium bifid and paraglossae free. Pronotum: rather flat, smooth, unpunctured, median line distinctly impressed; each lateral margin with 3–4 setiferous punctures, usually all in the anterior half; sides very strongly curved, and sinuate near the base. Elytra: rather depressed, broad; striae distinctly impressed and very indistinctly punctured; intervals moderately convex, intervals 3 and 5 wider than intervals 2, 4 and 6; interval 7 with about 8 setiferous punctures. Microsculpture: absent, but the surface usually dull, covered with minute scratches. Ventral surface smooth, entirely without punctures. Legs adapted for digging; coxae and femora greatly distended; tibiae triangular, greatly expanded at their apices, tarsi normal, of relatively small size; the apical spur of the anterior tibiae reaching to the junction between segments 4 and 5 of the tarsi; the longer of the two apical spurs of the middle tibiae reaching to the junction between 3rd and 4th segments of the tarsi, and the longer of the two spurs of the hind tarsi reaching to the junction between the 2nd and 3rd segments of the tarsi; the outer margin of the front and middle tibiae blade-like, and with an apical prolongation; hind tibiae strongly curved, convex outwards; anterior tibiae with a patch of setiferous punctures near