478 PHYTOPHAGA. 



3. Monocesta clarki. (Tab. XXVII. fig. 6.) 



Oblong-ovate, slightly widened behind ; testaceous or fulvous ; antennae (the two basal joints excepted) and 

 abdomen black ; thorax closely punctured ; elytra opaque, black-blue or green, finely granulate. 



Length 4-5 lines. 



Head very finely and closely punctured ; antennae about half the length of the body, the two basal joints 

 flavous or fulvous, the rest black, the third joint as long as, or very slightly longer than the fourth, the 

 four terminal joints the shortest ; thorax three times as broad as long, the sides strongly rounded and sub- 

 angulate at the middle, obliquely narrowed near the anterior angles, the latter obtuse, the surface deeply 

 and broadly depressed on either side (more obsoletely in the middle), the disc closely rugose-punctate, 

 fulvous or testaceous ; scutellum testaceous, its apex broadly truncate ; elytra (in some specimens) slightly 

 widened behind, in others more parallel, very finely alutaceous or coriaceous, of a dark bluish or greenish 

 colour. 



Hob. Mexico, Playa Vicente (Salle). 



M. clarki resembles somewhat in colour M. circumcincta, Clark, from Brazil, but 

 differs in the totally different shape and punctuation of the thorax, and in the want of 

 the elytral flavous margin ; the colour of the antennae and that of the legs also differ, 

 while the structure of the antennae prevents the species from being confounded with 

 Ccelomera atroccerulea. 



4. Monocesta depressa. (Tab. xxvu. figg. 3, 4.) 



Monocesta depressa, Clark, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 3rd ser. xvi. p. 267 \ 

 Monocesta nicaraguensis, Jac. P. Z. S. 1877, p. 520 2 . 



Hab. Nicaeagua 2 , Chontales (Janson, Belt); Costa Eica (Van Patten). — Colombia, 

 Kio Magdalena \ Bogota (coll. Jacoby). 



In examining closely the different specimens before me, and the type of Clark, 

 contained in the British Museum, I can come to no other conclusion than that M. 

 depressa is a very variable species in regard to colour, and I have now no doubt that 

 M. nicaraguensis represents merely the unicolorous form of Clark's insect. In the 

 latter the posterior black portion of the elytra extends upwards nearly to the base, 

 shading gradually into fulvous. In nearly all the specimens from Nicaragua the black 

 portion occupies the posterior half of the elytra only, and is well defined from the 

 fulvous part ; a single specimen, however, agrees with the type, thus showing that the 

 colour of the elytra is subject to great variation ; in the variety M. nicaraguensis the 

 elytra are entirely without black markings. The pubescence of the upper surface is 

 close and rather long. 



5. Monocesta pallida. (Tab. xxvil. fig. 5.) 



Ovate, pale fulvous ; antennae (the first joint excepted), tibiae, and tarsi black ; head and thorax finely punc- 

 tured and pubescent ; elytra finely granulate-punctate, covered with fine pubescence. 

 Length 2| lines. 



Head finely granulate ; antennas two thirds the length of the body, black, the first joint fulvous, the third, 

 fourth, and fifth joints nearly equal ; thorax narrowly transverse, the sides slightly rounded below the 

 middle, narrowed in front, the surface obsoletely depressed at the sides, finely punctured and pubescent; 



