58 PHYTOPHAGA. 



44. Cryptocephalus inornatus. 



$ . Black below; base of the antenna) and of the anterior femora fulvous ; above metallic violaceous blue. 



Length J line. 



Eyes very closely approached, face and labrum yellow or fulvous ; antennae rather long, extending to one third 

 the length of the body, four lower joints fulvous, the rest black and nearly as broad as long; thorax 

 very convex, much narrowed anteriorly and deflexed, with a short but distinct basal transverse groove in 

 front of the scutellum, surface very shining and totally impunctate, dark blue, the anterior margin very 

 narrowly fulvous; apex of scutellum very acute, black; elytra cylindrical, convex, and parallel, very 

 finely but regularly punctate-striate, the punctuation indistinct posteriorly ; the sixth row short, the 

 seventh absent ; interstices smooth. 



S . Darker blue ; head, anterior and part of the lateral margin of the thorax, as well as the legs, flavous; 

 elytra deeply punctate-striate. 



Hab. Guatemala, Duenas, San Geronimo (Champion). 



Although there is a good deal of difference in both colour and elytral sculpturing in 

 the two sexes of this species, I must, for want of more specimens, conclude that they 

 are in reality identical in regard to the species, which seems to be allied to C. viridi- 

 arneus. Boh., but differs in its general colour and in the transverse depression of the 

 thorax. 



SCOLOCHEUS. 



Scolochrus, Suffr. Monogr. vii. p. 104. 



Griburius, Haldeman, Journ. Ac. N. Sc. Philad. 1849, p. 245. 



Although this genus forms a link between the genera Cryptocephalus and Pachy- 

 brachys, and even approaches sometimes so close to the latter that the true determination 

 is not at all easy, yet the general shape, in most instances, is well marked — the broad 

 thorax, flattened upper surface, and the more developed anterior legs giving the insects 

 a characteristic appearance. More than a hundred species are already known, prin- 

 cipally from South America. Central America has furnished us at present with 

 fifteen species. 



1. Scolochrus dichrous. 



Scolochrus dichrous, Suffr. Monogr. vii. p. 108 (1852) . 



Steel-blue ; sides of the thorax and a basal and apical spot of the elytra yellow ; thorax coarsely and closely 



punctate ; elytra regularly, near the suture confusedly, punctate-striate, the interstices finely wrinkled. 

 Length 1|-1| line. 



Eab. Mexico, Oaxaca. 



2. Scolochrus purpurascens. (Tab. III. fig. 21.) 



Scolochrus purpurascens, Suffr. Monogr. vii. p. 109, xii. p. 387 \ 



Steel-blue, purplish above ; sides of the thorax finely punctured and pubescent ; elytra coarsely and irregularly 



punctate, a basal transverse band and the apex red. 

 Length 2^-2§ lines. 



