468 PHYTOPHAGA. 



PHYLACTICUS. 



Phylacticus, Clark, Cat. of Halticidae, p. 110 (1860). 



Most of the species of Phylacticus are of broad and robust shape, with the thorax 

 often glabrous, and the elytra clothed with thin hairs. The filiform palpi and antennae, 

 the rather long and double spur at the apices of the posterior tibiae, and the vertically 

 placed head are also characteristic of the genus. Several species are of an olive- 

 green colour. 



The genus is confined to Tropical America, from whence about seven species have 

 been described. We now add one from the State of Panama ; this is closely allied in 

 colour to a species (P. viridis, Perty) from Brazil, but I think distinct. The range of 

 Phylacticus is from Chiriqui to the Amazons valley. 



1. Phylacticus major. (Tab. XXV. fig. 19.) 



Testaceous below, olive-green above, clotbed with pale yellow hairs ; head and thorax closely punctured, the 

 latter with two lateral yellow stripes ; elytra closely punctate-striate, the interstices slightly convex and 

 minutely punctured. 



2 ■ The eighth interstice of the elytra strongly longitudinally costate. 



Length 3 §-4 lines. 



Head green, the sides below the eyes and the lower part of the face testaceous ; the vertex rugosely punctured ; 

 antenna? half the length of the body, slender, fulvous ; thorax transversely quadrate, less transverse in 

 the male, the surface depressed near the base, closely punctured, olive-green, sparingly pubescent, the 

 sides with a longitudinal well-defined yellow stripe ; scutellum obscure fulvous, small ; elytra rather 

 flattened, the surface strongly deflexed near the apices, deeply punctate-striate, the interstices very closely 

 and minutely punctured, densely clothed with yellowish-white hairs; legs flavous or fulvous, the apices of 

 all the femora and the outer side of the anterior tibiae green. 



Eab. Panama, Bugaba, Volcan de Chiriqui (Champion). 



This species seems to agree almost entirely with P. viridis, Perty, in its coloration 

 (unfortunately the sculpture of the head and thorax is not mentioned by either Clark 

 or Harold) ; but the Central- American insect is almost twice the size of that species ; 

 on this account I do not look upon it as identical with P. viridis, which, moreover, is 

 from Brazil. I have no doubt that P. major represents a closely allied but distinct 

 species. 



OMAMMATUS. 



Homammatus, Clark, Cat. of Halticidse, p. 116 (1860). 

 Omammatus, Gemm. & Harold, Cat. xii. p. 3539. 



Two species at present constitute this genus, which must be ranked amongst those 

 of doubtful systematic value ; the palpi are filiform or rather subfiliform ; the antenna? 

 in one of the species filiform and in the other incrassate. Clark in his general remarks 



