



• 



120 



KHYNCHOPHORA. 



of the rostrum. In the male of R. auriculatus the prothorax has a rectangular or ear- 

 like prominence on each side in front, and in the female of R. subcristatus the median 



* 



portion of the rostrum is closely setulose above. In R. dentifer and R. adspersus the 

 prosternum has two flattened, subcontiguous, tuberculiform prominences in the middle 

 at the base, these becoming evanescent in the nearly related forms. R. 1'S-punctatus 

 and its allies are extremely variable in colour and it is difficult to define them satis- 

 factorily ; these and various other forms have a more or less distinct tooth or prominence 



on each side of the rostrum near the base (as seen in profile), formed by the transverse 

 tumid space behind the antennal scrobes *. 



The members of this genus are mostly found, so far as at present recorded, on the 

 flowers of Composite, Asclepiadaceae, &c, sometimes occurring gregariously on the 

 same bush, R. sanguineus, 13-punctatus, ductus, pustulosus, and stigmaticus being 

 characteristic Central- American forms. 



The species inhabiting our region may be grouped thus : 



a. Posterior femora not extending beyond the tip of the pygidium. 



a 1 . Body black ; the elytra with a sanguineous fascia at the base, followed by 



a broad black band, the apex bluish-grey-pruinose Species 1. 



b\ Body black, olivaceo- or cinereo-pruinose, the punctures not indicated by 



cinereous spots f. 

 a 2 . Prothorax and elytra without definite markings. 



a z . Prothorax and elytra transversely plicate Species 2. 



6 3 . Prothorax only with a transverse depression towards the base . . . Species 3. 

 b 2 . Prothorax and elytra with sharply-defined velvety-black spots. 



c\ The spots large Species 4. 



d 2 . The spots smaller (sometimes obsolete) . 



Species 5, 6 



c 1 . Body black, sometimes rufo-variegate (the elytra rarely ferruginous), the 



punctures on the prothorax (except in R. guttatus) and elytra each 

 surrounded or indicated by a more or less distinct cinereous or brownish 

 spot. 

 c\ Elytra subequally tessellated with rather large brownish spots .... Species 7, 8. 



d 2 . Elytra with one or two darker fasciae . Species 9-16. 



e\ Elytra with velvety-black spots ; antennal scape much longer than the 



funiculus Species 17, 18 



f 2 . Elytra with a common (sometimes interrupted) v-shaped mark on the 



disc, and some other markings at the shoulder and near the apex, 

 velvety-black; antennal scape and funiculus subequal in length . . . Species 19-22 

 g*. Elytra without velvety-black spots or definite dark transverse fasciae 



(sometimes rufo-variegate, or with a black patch on the disc or one or 



* Hence Chevrolet's specific name corniculaius. 



t R. maculifer would be almost equally well placed in this section. 





■ 





■ 



■ 





■ ■ 









* 





■ 





. 



■ ■ 



. ■ 

 - ■ 





■ 







■ 

 ■ 











- 



■ 



■ 



■ 



■ 

 ■ 



■ 





■ 





■ 

 ■ 





■ 



• 









■ 



■ 



■■ ■ 

 ■ . 

 ■ 



■ 





■ 













. 



■ 



■ 



■ 

 ■ ■ 

 ■ 



: 

 ■ 



■ . 



■ . 



■ 



- 



■ 

 ■ 





t 



. 









■ . 



■ 



■ 

 ■ 



■ 

 ■ 



■ 



4 



■ 









