148 PHYTOPHAGA. 



show a good deal of variation in colour as well as sometimes in the strength of their 

 punctuation, varying above from brilliant purplish or copper-colour to metallic green, 

 and below from fulvous to black. The species may be recognized by the deep elytral 

 depression below the base, which is plainly visible to the naked eye, by the close and 

 strong punctuation of the head and the minute punctuation of the thorax. A female 

 specimen from Sabo is represented on the Plate. 



KHABDOPHORUS. 



Rhabdophorus, Lefevre, Mitth. Munch, ent. Vereins, 1878, p. 126. 



This genus was founded by M. Lefevre on a few species from Colombia, having the 

 general characters of Colaspis, but differing in the shape of the thorax, which is much 

 more transverse in Bhabdophorus, and in the greater width of the prosternum. Both 

 characters, although well expressed in some species, seem to be subject to modifications, 

 some forms from Central America showing intermediate structural characters which 

 would with equal right include them in either genus. 



1. Rhabdophorus mexicaims. (Tab. VIII. fig. 24.) 



Ovate, convex, fulvous; above submetallic green; thorax distantly punctured; elytra deeply subgeminate 

 punctate-striate, the interstices at the apex costate. 



Yar. a. Entirely light fulvous. 



Head swollen at the vertex, distantly punctured, with a deep longitudinal groove in the middle ; palpi very 

 slenderly filiform ; antennae two thirds the length of the body, fulvous, joints eighth and the last two 

 piceous ; thorax transverse, slightly narrowed towards the apex, finely margined, the sides scarcely visibly 

 angulate at the middle, surface distantly punctured at the disk, smooth and impunctate near the margins ; 

 scutellum rounded, small ; elytra convex, slightly geminate punctate-striate near the suture, the punctures 

 arranged in single and close lines towards the sides, where the interstices are somewhat rugose, while those 

 near the apex are strongly raised into longitudinal costse ; underside and legs dark fulvous, stained with 

 piceous at the breast ; tarsi entirely of that colour, those of the male greatly dilated. 



Hab. Mexico, San Andres Tuxtla, Playa Vicente, Santecomapan (Salle, Boucard) ; 

 Guatemala, Isabal (Salle), Purula, Zapote, Chacoj (Champion); Panama, Volcan de 

 Chiriqui, 2000-3000 feet (Champion). 



The general colour of the upperside in this species is a light fulvous with a strong 

 metallic-green gloss ; the punctuation of the thorax is rather fine and notably distant. 

 From the entirely light fulvous colour of the variety (a specimen of which is figured from 

 Tuxtla) to that of the type, intermediate shades are before me ; in other respects the 

 specimens show scarcely any difference. The prosternum in this species is distinctly 

 broader than in species of the genus Colaspis. Two specimens from Chiriqui differ in 

 the finer punctuation of the thorax, but in no other way. 



2. Bhabdophorus salvhri. (Tab. IX. fig. 2.) 



Ovate, fulvous ; thorax finely and remotely punctured ; elytra metallic green, subgeminate punctate-striate, 



the sides deeply punctured and transversely rugulose. 

 Length 3 lines. 



