530 PHYTOPHAGA. 



64. Diabrotica balteata. (Tab. XXIX. fig. 23.) 



Diabrotica balteata, Lee. Proc. Acad. Phil. 1865, p. 213 \ 

 Diabrotica sallei, Baly, Journ. Linn. Soc., Zool. xix. p. 227 2 . 



Eab. Noeth Amekica \ — Mexico, Minas Viejas, Monclova in Coahuila (Br. Palmer), 

 Presidio, Ventanas, Mazatlan (Forrer), Guanajuato, Cordova, Oaxaca, Vera Cruz, 

 Tuxtla, Orizaba, Puebla (Salle), Jalapa, Huetamo, Sayula, Chilpancingo, Acapulco, 

 Tapachula (Hoge) ; Beitish Hondueas, R. Sarstoon, E. Hondo (Blancaneaux) ; Guate- 

 mala (coll. Baly 1 ), near the city (Salvin, Champion), Capetillo, Duefias, Zapote, Volcan 

 de Atitlan, Purula (Champion) ; Hondueas (Salle) ; #^icaeagua, San Juan, Granada 

 (Salle), Chontales (Janson, Belt); Costa Rica (Van Patten), Volcan de Irazu, Cache 

 (Bogers). — Colombia 2 . 



Leconte's short description can only apply to the present insect. B. balteata is a 

 • widely distributed and common species in our region ; B. sallcei, Baly, is identical 

 with it. I have more than two hundred examples before me : these prove that the 

 colour of the insect is subject to great variation, no doubt attributable to immaturity or 

 to discoloration after death ; the green bands of the elytra in such specimens frequently 

 becoming more or less indistinct or disappearing altogether. In the typical form the 

 elytra are flavous, with three narrow bright green transverse bands, the basal band 

 dividing the flavous portion into two spots. 



An example from Oaxaca is figured. 



65. Diabrotica tortuosa. (Tab. xxx. fig. 18.) 



Dark fulvous or piceous ; thorax green, bifoveolate ; elytra flavous, finely and closely punctured, each with a 

 narrow transverse band before and another at the middle, and a ring-shaped mark near the apex, green ; 

 abdomen greenish. 



Length 3 lines. 



Head reddish-fulvous, shining, impunctate ; the frontal tubercles indistinct, the carina acutely raised ; aatennse 

 reddish-piceous, the first joint green, the second and third joints short, the latter one half longer than the 

 second ; thorax about one half broader than long, green, shining, the surface impunctate, with two deep 

 foveas ; scutellum obscure fulvous ; elytra very closely and finely punctured, with some obsolete longitu- 

 dinal costae, flavous, a transverse narrow band (obliquely directed from the suture to the lateral margin) 

 before the middle, another similar (but straight) band at the middle, and a ring-shaped mark near the 

 apex of each, green ; breast obscure piceous, the abdomen and the femora green, the tibiae dark fulvous. 



Bob. Mexico, Las Peras (Salle), Jalapa (Hoge). 



The two specimens before me show no difference whatever in the elytral markings ; 

 these markings differ from those of all the allied species in this section, with the 

 exception of those of B. rufo-maculata. This latter closely approaches B. tortuosa, 

 although the spots are red instead of flavous (if the green portion is taken for 

 the ground-colour) ; it is quite possible, however, that B. tortuosa represents but a 

 variety of B. rufo-maculata. 



