DICEECA.— BUPRESTIS. 13 



and irregularly punctured ; the punctures are close on the disk and crowded at the 

 sides ; on the sides, before the middle, there is a small spot of fulvous pile. The elytra 

 are shining, somewhat regularly and very strongly punctate-striate ; the interstices very 

 narrow, slightly confused at the sides: on the side, below the shoulder, there is a small 

 round pubescent spot ; and at the middle (a little removed from the margin) is a trans- 

 verse spot. The sculpture below resembles that of the preceding species. The apex 

 of the abdomen is gently emarginate, with the angles obtuse. 



There is a second specimen from M. Salle's collection, which differs in having the 

 elytra much more strongly punctured, and the striae are almost entirely lost. This may 

 belong to a distinct species ; but I think it more likely to be a variety. 



BUPEESTIS. 



Buprestis, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. x. p. 408 (1760). 



The species of this genus, about fifty in number, are distributed through North and 

 Central America, Europe, and Siberia. Species are also recorded from Canaries, Egypt, 

 Nepal, and Japan. 



1. Buprestis catoxantha. (Tab. I. fig. 13.) 



Buprestis variegata, Lap. & Gory, Mon. ii. p. 140, t. 34. f. 192 (name preoccupied). 

 Buprestis catoxantha, Gory, Mon. Suppl. p. 118, t. 20. f. 116. 



Hah. Mexico, Orizaba (Salle), Coatepec (Edge) ; Guatemala, Purula (Champion). 



This insect is usually of a green colour, with purple or blue shades ; the front of the 

 thorax is yellow, with two green spots ; the sides of the thorax are yellow ; each elytron 

 has a yellow stripe from the shoulder to rather beyond the middle, and a transverse 

 spot some distance from the apex. The underside is yellow, with some few black marks. 

 The apex of the stripe on the elytra is frequently detached as a separate spot. 



A very small specimen (5J lines) from Orizaba has no yellow on the head, and the 

 yellow and black on the underside are about in equal proportions. 



Two specimens from Purula are blackish, one with seneous, the other with purple 

 reflections ; there is a single longitudinal yellow stripe on the front of the head ; and 

 the elytra have an additional yellow spot near the suture at the apex of the elytron. 



2. Buprestis piliventris. (Tab. I. fig. 17.) 



Elongata, lanceolata, parum convexa, cuprea, subopaca ; thorace crebre punctata, linea mediana elevata lsevi 

 viridi ; elytris purpurascentibus, confertim punctatis, costatis, singulis vitta viridi ornatis ; corpore subtus 

 albo-piloso. 



Long. 6-8=| lin. 



Hah. Mexico, Chiapas (Sumichrast, coll. Salle). 



Of a more lanceolate form than B. aurulenta, Linn., which it somewhat resembles ; 



