604 SEREICOBNIA. 



the three basal joints testaceous. The upper surface is shining, glabrous, and finely, 

 moderately closely punctate. The thorax is explanate and acutely margined at the 

 sides, widest at the base, the sides being a little rounded. The elytra are rather 

 elongate, acutely margined and explanate at the sides, and compressed laterally below 

 ^V the shoulders. The antennal joints 4-10 become gradually shorter outwards. The 

 femora are smooth and glabrous. The general shape is oboval. The Texan insect 

 described and figured by Dr. Horn under the name Scirtes troberti (Trans. Am. Ent. 

 Soc. viii. p. 102, t. 1. fig. 15) belongs to a very different species*. 0. troberti (Guer.), 

 like most of its congeners, lives upon willows ; it resembles a species of (Edionychis, of 

 the family Halticidse. 



2. Ora obliqua. (Tab. XXVI. fig. 25.) 



Broad-oval, depressed, rather shining ; head, prothorax, and seutellum black or piceous, the base of the head 

 and two marks on the disc of the prothorax, as well as the lateral margins, sometimes rufous or rufo- 

 testaceous ; the elytra pale testaceous, each with a long oblique black or piceous streak on the disc 

 extending to a little beyond the middle ; the antennae black or piceous, with the three basal joints testaceous ; 

 the body beneath in great part piceous or brown ; the legs piceous or brown, with the tarsi, the apex of 

 the tibiae, and the basal half of the femora testaceous ; the upper surface thickly clothed with very fine, 

 pallid, sericeous pubescence, the elytra also with intermixed longer hairs. Head very minutely punctate ; 

 antennas moderately long, joints 2 and 3 subequal in length, 4-11 elongate ; prothorax short, rapidly 

 narrowing from the base, explanate and acutely margined at the sides, densely, very minutely punctulate ; 

 seutellum punctured like the prothorax ; elytra broadly explanate and acutely margined at the sides, 

 densely, minutely punctate, with distinct intermixed, slightly coarser punctures, and indications of an 

 impressed line near the suture. Posterior tibiae elongate, slightly curved, and dilated externally from a 

 little below the base to the apex, appearing rounded on their outer edge, the upper spur very long. 



Var. Above and beneath and the legs pale testaceous, the hind femora a little darker at the tip, the antennas 

 coloured as in the type. 



Length 4-4f , breadth 2f-3| millim. 



Hab. Mexico, Vera Cruz (Salle) ; Guatemala, Panzos (Champion). 



Found in numbers by myself upon a species of Salix, on the banks of the Eiver 

 Polochic, on the Atlantic slope, the typical and pallid forms occurring together. The 

 variety only is represented in the Salle collection. This is one of several Central- 

 American forms allied to the Brazilian 0. complanata (Guer.), the description of which 

 is too vague for the identification of closely allied species. The pallid variety agrees 

 with it in colour. A typical example from Panzos is figured. 



3. Ora discoidea. (Tab. XXVI. fig. 26.) 



Broad-oval, depressed, rather shining ; head, prothorax, and seutellum black or piceous, the base of the head 

 and the margins of the prothorax, as well as the apex of the latter in the centre, often obscure testaceous • 

 the elytra pale testaceous, each with a very broad piceous or brownish vitta on the disc extending from a 

 little below the base to near the apex (leaving a narrow sutural, and a broad marginal and basal stripe of 

 the ground-colour) ; the antennae black or piceous, with the three basal joints testaceous ; the body 

 beneath and the legs piceous or brown, the basal half of the femora and the tarsi testaceous ; the upper 



* The name texanus is here proposed for the Texan insect. 



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