346 PHYTOPHAGA. 



obtained in North or South America. Species of Epitrix are also found in Europe, 

 including England. They appear to affect principally plants of the orders Solanaceee and 

 Cucurbitacese, and are sometimes to be met with in vast profusion, and in North America 

 one species at least apparently doing a good deal of mischief. 



l. Epitrix violacea. (Tab. XXI. fig. l.) 



Below and the legs black ; three basal joints of the antennae obscure fulvous ; above metallic violaceous blue, 

 thorax finely punctured ; elytra strongly punctate-striate. 



Length 1| line. 



Head impunctate, except round the inner margin of the eyes, where a few deep punctures are placed ; antennae 

 nearly two thirds the length of the body, the three lower joints fulvous beneath, the rest black, second 

 and third joints of very nearly equal length ; thorax twice as broad as long, the posterior margin of the 

 usual shape as well as the anterior angles, basilar sulcation distinct at the sides only and very obsolete 

 near the middle, surface (when seen under a strong glass) very finely punctured ; elytra convex and 

 nearly parallel, slightly depressed below the base, strongly and regularly punctate-striate, the punctuation 

 scarcely finer at the apex than at the base, interstices flat and without hairs ; underside and legs black ; 

 presternum broad, square-shaped, strongly punctured. 



Hab. Guatemala, Cerro Zunil (Champion). 



One or two similarly coloured species have been described by Mr. Baly ; of these the 

 present insect seems nearly to agree with E. cyanella, of which I have the type for 

 comparison. The insect described here is larger (Mr. Baly gives the size of the species 

 in question as 1 J line ; I find it to be, however, scarcely one line in length), the thoracic 

 basilar groove almost obsolete in the middle (in E. cyanella it is very distinct), the 

 elytra without pubescence ; in both the specimens obtained the underside and legs are 

 black. 



E. segregata, Baly, has a longer thorax and the basilar groove more deeply 

 impressed. 



2. Epitrix puncticollis. 



Black below ; four basal joints of the antennae fulvous ; thorax finely but distinctly punctured, metallic green 



or bluish ; elytra of the same colour, strongly punctate-striate. 

 Length 1-1 \ line. 



Hab. Guatemala, Aceytuno, Capetillo, Duenas (Champion). 



From E. violacea the present species differs in the much more distinctly punctured 

 thorax, the four light fulvous basal joints of the antennae, and the metallic bright green 

 colour of its upper surface ; the thoracic groove also is much more distinct. As these 

 differences are constant in the ten specimens before me, I have no doubt about the 

 specific distinction of the species. The elytra are also devoid of hairs as in the 

 allied species; in all the specimens obtained the fulvous joints of the antenna? are 

 brightly coloured and not stained with piceous, and the fourth joint slightly shorter 

 than the third. 



