266 PHYTOPHAGA. 



their separation into half a dozen species, which wonld be scarcely satisfactory. I 

 prefer, a! in the ease of J>. anlica, to regard all the forms as belongs to one very 

 variable species. 



5. Diphaulaxja panamensis. ^ the 



Ovate, very convex, dark violaceous blue; antennae sienaer, wyi j 



punctuation visible to the apex, the base raised. 



length 2| lines. ft Mi n n«lv shaned, limited posteriorly by a transverse 



Head impunctate, the frontal tubercles elongate and obhquety shaped, J P y J 



groove; carina short and thiek ; antenna, half the length «"*£* « • flfth 



joints shining, the rest opaque, closely pubescent ; fourth .}*£ W J 8 



one half louger than the fourth; thorax transverse ."T^J^ longitudinal sulcation deep, 



base, rounded at the middle; antenor angles acnt e ; basa 4 .^™ r ^ J^» impunctate; elytra 



the former extending also upwards aterally beyondttm 1 ngitato **££ • ^ ^ ^ 



vprv convex wider at the base than the thorax, distinctly trans vex »m^ ud F 



SZta-i callus prominent; surface very closely and rather strongly punctured, the punctual 



more finely but distinctly visible towards the apex. 



Hab. Panama, Bugaba (Champion). 



I have separated this species from D. nitida on account of its more convex shape, 

 longer antenna, (the joints of which are more elongate), and stronger elytral punctuation, 

 all of which characters are the same in the dozen specimens obtained at Bugaba. 



The present species and D. nitida cannot well be included in von Harold s genus 

 Lactina, on account of the distinct basal elevation of the elytra and their more striate- 

 punctate sculpture. The continuation of the thoracic groove beyond the lateral one is 

 visible in certain lights only, and may be found to a greater or smaller degree in other 

 species of Hiphaulaca. Von Harold has described a few similarly marked insects, and 

 put them in the genus Haltica (Graptodera), to which I cannot refer the present and 

 preceding insects on account of the deep longitudinal thoracic groove and the other 

 structural characters pointed out above. In the insect described here from Panama 

 there is no variation visible amongst the specimens, as in the case of B. nitida. 



6. Diphaulaca chiriquensis. (Tab. XVI. fig. 1.) 



Metallic violaceous or greenish blue; head with a deep fovea; thorax impunctate ; elytra closely punctured, 

 the punctures arranged in irregular striae. 



Held impunctate, with a deep longitudinal fovea between the eyes ; antennae scarcely half the length of the 

 body, black, the apex of the first three joints obscure fulvous, third joint nearly twice as long as toe 

 second; thorax rather convex, the anterior angles thickened and slightly pointed outwards; sides nearly 

 straight, the transverse sulcation very distinct, sinuate, and deeply limited laterally by a longitudinal 

 groove ; the entire surface impunctate and rather swollen in front of the sulcation ; elytra with a distinct 

 but not very deep depression near the suture below the base ; the punctuation somewhat variable rn depth, 

 generally well visible anteriorly, and arranged in rather irregular double rows towards the suture the 

 punctuation more fine towards the apex, but more strongly impressed near the sides. Legs dark blue; 

 underside blackish blue. 



Hab. Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui (Champion). 



