LACTTCA. 279 



sinuate at the middle and deeply limited laterally by the longitudinal grooves ; scutellum blackish, its 

 apex slightly rounded ; elytra a little widened posteriorly, "with a longitudinal depression within the 

 shoulders and an obsolete transverse one below the base, the latter minutely punctured, the punctuation 

 disappearing almost entirely towards the apex ; antennae longer than half the length of the body, black, 

 the fourth joint much longer than the third one ; underside black, with a slight metallic greenish or 

 violaceous tint, finely pubescent. 



Sab. Guatemala, San Juan in Vera Paz, Zapote, Purula (Champion) ; Panama, Volcan 

 de Chiriqui (Champion). 



I know of no species of Lactica with which the present one may be confounded, on 

 account of the uniform coloration ; the latter is in most specimens a fine violaceous 

 blue, changing to greenish in a few others. The typical characters peculiar to the 

 genus are all present, so that the species cannot be identified with some similar coloured 

 ones belonging to allied genera. The thoracic groove is well limited laterally, and the 

 anterior tibiae are unarmed. A dozen specimens were obtained. 



22. Lactica viridipennis. (Tab. XVI. fig. 9.) 



Elongate, parallel, black below ; head, thorax, and legs testaceous ; elytra bright metallic green, extremely 

 finely punctured. 



Length 1-1 1 line. 



Head impunctate, frontal tubercles absent ; inner margin of the eyes impressed at each side with a small fovea ; 

 antennae two thirds the length of the body, black ; first three joints obscure testaceous, third joint double 

 the length of the preceding, fourth as long as the two preceding joints together ; thorax narrowly 

 transverse, the sides very slightly rounded, anterior angles obtuse ; basal sulcation deep ; surface impunc- 

 tate, light testaceous ; scutellum black ; elytra parallel, very obsoletely depressed below the base, of a 

 bright metallic green, surface very minutely and rather closely punctured when seen under a strong lens ; 

 underside, with the exception of that of the thorax, the prosternum, and the coxae, black ; legs entirely 

 testaceous. 



Hab. Guatemala, Cerro Zunil (Champion). 



It will not be difficult to distinguish this small species from L. specularis, Har., on 

 account of the colour and fine punctuation of its elytra, and the uniform testaceous legs ; 

 in respect of the punctuation the species resembles L. elegantula, Har., from which it 

 may, however, be separated by the absence of the tubercles at the head and the tes- 

 taceous legs. I have before me a dozen specimens, which all agree in the above 

 particulars. 



23. Lactica abdominalis. (Tab. XVI. fig. 10.) 



Subovate, fulvous ; antennae (their basal joints excepted) and abdomen black ; elytra metallic bluish green, 

 their base minutely punctured. 



Length 1-1 1 line. 



Head as in the preceding species ; antennae half the length of the body, the three basal joints fulvous, the 

 rest black ; third and fourth joints of equal length, about half as long as the second joint ; thorax less 

 transverse than in L. viridipennis and more narrowed in front, fulvous, impunctate ; basal sulcation deep ; 

 elytra slightly widened towards the middle, very obsoletely depressed below the base, the latter very 

 minutely punctured, rest of the surface impunctate ; scutellum fulvous ; breast and legs fulvous ; abdomen 

 black. 



Hob. Beitish Hondukas, river Hondo, Belize (Blancaneaux). 



