HALTICA.— STPHEEA. 301 



16. Haltica obliterata. 



Haltica obliterata, Leconte, Coleopt. of Kansas, 1859, p. 26 l . 



Bah. Noeth Ameeica 1 . — Mexico, North Sonora (Morrison). 



The specimens received from Mexico agree well enough with the description of 

 Leconte to be considered referable to the present species. Their colour is a dull 

 opaque dark, almost blackish, blue, in which respect they differ from most other species 

 under consideration here ; the frontal tubercles are distinct and of subquadrate shape, 

 the carina elongate and narrow ; the antennae are nearly half the length of the body, 

 black, the third joint distinctly shorter than the fourth, the terminal joints having a 

 greyish appearance on account of the fine but close pubescence covering them ; the 

 thorax is rather long, not much more than half as broad as long, the basilar sulcation 

 being nearly obliterated ; the entire surface is extremely finely and closely punctured ; 

 the same may be said of the elytra, but their punctuation is a little more distinct than 

 that of the thorax, and no traces of any costae are visible. The sexes do not show any 

 perceptible difference in any way. 



The species is tolerably easy of recognition on account of the general colour, fine 

 punctuation, and the nearly absent thoracic groove. The size varies, however, from 

 two to three lines. 



17. Haltica torquata. 



Haltica torquata, Leconte, Journ. Ac. Phil. iv. 1858, p. 27 ; Coleopt. of Kansas, 1859, p. 26 \ 

 Hab. Noeth Ameeica K — Mexico, North Sonora (Morrison). 



A specimen from North America contained in my collection agrees entirely with 

 those before me from Mexico, which I refer to the present insect on account of the 

 coloration. In all the specimens the thorax is of a reddish cupreous, margined (espe- 

 cially at the base) with a more brassy hue ; the elytra vary from green to obscure 

 cupreous, and have the lateral margin generally purplish; thorax and elytra are 

 extremely finely and closely punctured ; the antennas, of which the third and fourth 

 joints are of equal length, have their basal joints of a metallic aeneous colour, the 

 terminal ones black. The size of the insect is two to two and a half lines. 



SYPHEEA. 



Syphrea, Baly, Trans. Ent. Soc. 1876, p. 447. 



Syphrea was founded on a single species from Guatemala, having the general 

 characters to be found in Haltica, but differing in its robust and very convex general 

 shape, and especially that of the thorax. 



