188 PHTTOPHAGA. 



Pam. CHRYSOMELIDJE. 



This great family, which is distributed over every part of the world, is also well 

 represented in Central America—although it does not play quite such a prominent part 

 as the Eumolpidse, either in regard to species or individuals. The Catalogue of 

 Gemminger and von Harold contains the names of about 130 Central-American species 

 —the whole, number of those from the New World amounting to about 700. Their 

 classification has, up to the present time, been most ably pointed out by Chapuis in his 

 < Genera des Coleopteres,' whose arrangement I propose following here, merely dwelling 

 upon the distinctive characters of each genus— StaTs division, in his fine Monograph 

 of American Chrysomelidae, offering some occasion for remarks. 



In regard to the name of the present family, I think it preferable to reserve it 

 exclusively for those genera which fall under our present classification, commencing 

 with Colaspidema and ending with the Australian genus Paropsis, instead of using the 

 name Chrysomelidae for the whole of the Phytophaga, as is done in Gemminger's 

 Catalogue. Stal has given short diagnoses of many species in the Ofvers. Vet.-Ak. Forh., 

 which are here simply referred to as " Diagnosis." 



PEUEDON. 



Phcedon, Latreille, Cuv. Regn. Anim. 1829, v. p. 151. 



Nearly forty species of this genus have been described, amongst which two only are 

 known from Mexico ; their colour is generally a dark blue or green, with occasional 

 spots of another shade. 



From nearly all parts of the world species of Phcedon are known. 



l. PhsBdon cyanescens. (Tab. IX. fig. 21.) 



Phcedon cyanescens, Stal, Ofvers. Yet.- Ak. Forh. I860, p. 470; Monogr. Chrysom. Amer. p. 320 \ 

 Phadonjanthinum, Sturm, Cat. 1843, p. 292 . 



Hal. Mexico 1 2 , Cordova, Yolos, Guanajuato, Puebla, Toluca, Las Vigas, Jalapa 

 (Salle; Hbge); Guatemala (Salle), Capetillo, Duenas, Ostuncalco, Quezaltenango 

 {Champion) ; Costa Rica (van Patten). 



The numerous specimens which are before me from the above localities show 

 occasionally slight differences in shape and sculpture, but not to a degree which I 

 should take for specific. Stal describes the head as smooth ; but in a specimen 

 named by that author, and contained in M. Baly's collection, I find the head finely 

 punctured, in which it agrees with all the other specimens I have for comparison. The 

 species is of an entirely dark violaceous or greenish colour ; the thorax is finely and 

 closely punctured ; and the interstices of the punctate-striate elytra are smooth and 

 impunctate ; antennae and legs black. 



