536 PHYTOPHAGA. 



San Geronimo (Champion); Nicaragua, Chontales (Janson) ; Costa Rica ( Van Patten), 

 Volcan de Irazu (Bogers). 



I am not quite certain whether I rightly refer the specimens from the above localities 

 to this insect, the description of Fabricius being too short to recognize with certainty 

 a species so closely allied to several others. It is very likely that D. trivittata, 

 Mannerh., is a variety of D. vittata, in which (according to Leconte) the thoracic 

 depressions are not confluent and the legs differently coloured ; specimens marked in 

 this way, and intermediately, are before me, and D. vittata is probably subject to a 

 good deal of variation. In the Central-American specimens the subsutural flavous vitta 

 of the elytra extends to three costae, these costae being broader than the others (Mr. Baly, 

 in speaking of D. vittata, cf. Journ. Linn. Soc, Zool. xix. p. 231, says that the second 

 and third elytral costae are broader and equal) ; the legs black, with the base of the 

 femora flavous ; the head entirely black ; and the antennae have the basal joint gene- 

 rally testaceous. 



An example from the Volcan de Irazu is figured. 



76. Diabrotica porosa. (Tab. XXXI. fig. 9.) 



Black ; thorax testaceous, obsoletely impressed ; elytra deeply subfoveolate-punctate, the interstices costate, 

 piceous, each with a narrow flavous subsutural and lateral vitta joined at the apex ; legs piceous, the base 

 of the femora and the posterior tibiae flavous. 



Length l|-2 lines. 



Eab. Mexico, Jalapa (Edge) ; Guatemala, Pantaleon (Champion) ; Panama, Bugaba, 

 Volcan de Chiriqui (Champion). 



Amongst the small species of this section having flavous elytral vittae, B. porosa may 

 be recognized by the deep punctures of the elytra, these punctures being arranged in 

 single rows at the sides, while those near the suture are smaller and irregularly 

 geminate. The subsutural flavous costa is broader than the other costae and separated 

 by a row of punctures, and the interstices between the large lateral punctures are 

 slightly longitudinally raised. The antennae are generally fuscous towards the apex, 

 the other joints being entirely flavous ; sometimes, however, the intermediate joints 

 are darkened. 



Only a single specimen was obtained at Jalapa ; this differs from the others in 

 having the flavous elytral vitta rather broader towards the base, where another short 

 flavous band is attached to it on its inner side, the latter not quite extending to the 

 middle. We figure a specimen from the Volcan de Chiriqui. 



77. Diabrotica difformis. (Tab. xxxii. fig. 9.) 



Plavous, the upper part of the head black, the intermediate and apical joints of the antennas piceous ; thorax 

 bifoveolate ; elytra black, finely costate, a triangular spot at the apices and the lateral margin flavous. 



